Feeling a Moment
by Bindy417
Summary: AU. Haley's always loved Nathan, but he barely knows she exists. When Haley decides to reveal her feelings in the time capsule, she never thought anyone would see it. That is until someone releases the time capsule early. Now everyone knows of her feeling
1. Chapter 1

**Feeling a Moment**

By Bindy417

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _One Tree Hill _or its characters. They belong to Mark Schwahn and the CW.

**Summary: **AU. Haley's always loved Nathan, but he barely knows she exists. When Haley decides to reveal her feelings in the time capsule, she never thought anyone would see it. That is until someone releases the time capsule early. Now everyone knows of her feelings, even Nathan. When tragedy strikes, will this revelation bring Haley and Nathan together or keep them forever apart?

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, so here is my new story. This idea had been floating around in my head for a while, and I'm so glad that I finally got to write it. It's an AU version of events that occurred in episodes 3x15 and 3x16. This fic isn't super long; it's just under ten chapters. But I hope you like it. So here is the first chapter. Please read and review!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Haley James blew a stray piece of hair out of her face in frustration as she searched through the mess that was her locker. She knew agreeing to share it with her best friend would come back to bite her in the ass. As much as she loved and admired Lucas Scott—because he really was a good guy—Haley had to admit that the boy was a complete and total slob. But he'd begged and pleaded with her to let him use her locker in between classes. His excuse being that his locker was located opposite all his classes on the other side of the school, and the running back and forth was constantly making him late. If he got one more detention, Coach Durham would suspend him from a couple of games. Being his best friend, Haley couldn't let that happen. There was only one other thing that meant the world to Lucas besides his family and friends, and that was basketball. So she'd given in and allowed him locker privileges.

Haley's nose scrunched up in disgust when she found a banana peel jammed between her history and calculus books. _The things I put up with for that boy_, she thought and picked it up.

"Hey, Tutor Girl. Ew, what is that?" her other best friend—who also happened to be Lucas's girlfriend—questioned.

"This is what happens when I let your slob of a boyfriend use my locker." Haley waved it in Brooke's face.

"Ew! Get that thing away from me!" the brunette screeched.

Haley laughed and tossed the banana peel in the trash. "You're his girlfriend. I should just tell him to use your locker from now on."

"No way. I am not having his junk in there. I need the extra room."

"For your books?"

"No, my makeup. Duh."

Haley smiled and shook her head. It was such a Brooke thing to say, but she supposed it went along with the territory. Brooke was the captain of the Tree Hill High Ravens basketball cheerleaders and the most popular girl in school. If you'd told Haley three years ago that she and Brooke Davis would end up becoming friends, she would have said you were crazy. Haley had never been anything out of the ordinary. If anything, she considered herself somewhat of a geek. Haley absolutely loved school, was the member of several honors societies, and had the highest GPA in her class. And when she wasn't working on homework or projects for extra credit, she tutored others in her spare time.

Yup, she and Brooke Davis were an unlikely pair to be friends. That all changed, however, when Lucas decided to join the Ravens Varsity basketball team. He'd always been a great player but hadn't mustered the courage to tryout until their junior year of high school. As Haley had expected, Lucas made the team. When the rest of the school saw how amazing he was, Lucas's social status went from broody loner to superstar athlete. He made new friends on the team and started dating Brooke after a couple of months. All the while Haley felt like she was just along for the ride. But she was Lucas's best friend so she supported him. And Brooke really was a good person once you got to know her. Luckily it all turned out well.

"It's nice to know that you have your priorities set straight," Haley teased.

"Hey, looking this fabulous takes a lot of hard work and dedication."

"Not to mention a ton of eye liner and a wonderbra," a curly blonde added, approaching them. It was their other friend and fellow cheerleader, Peyton Sawyer.

"Shut up, P. Sawyer," Brooke chided. "Let she who has never colored her hair cast the first stone."

Peyton laughed as Brooke stuck her tongue out.

"How old are you guys, five?" Haley quipped. Her smile quickly vanished when she spotted a pair of dirty gym socks shoved next to her lunch bag. "That's it. I can't take it anymore!"

"Can't take what anymore?" Lucas approached and placed his arm around Brooke, leaning against the locker next to Haley's.

"Speak of the devil." Haley glared at Lucas and pointed at her locker. "Lucas Scott, I said you could put some of your books in here, not fill it up with crap."

"What crap?"

"Your half-eaten food, gross gym socks, and some kind of substance that resembles green Jell-o," she retorted.

"That's nasty," Peyton commented.

"That's my science project."

"Well, it's oozing onto my backpack. You have until the end of the day to get all of this out of here. Or else," Haley warned.

"Come on, Hales. You know I need to use your locker to make it to my class on time."

"I love you, Luke, but I draw the line at unidentified green substances."

"What if I promise to clean out the whole locker"—she gave him a look—"and promise to keep it clean," he quickly added and ran a nervous hand through his shaggy blonde hair.

"Maybe."

"I'll also buy you dinner and a movie," he threw in.

"I already get to eat free at your mom's café. I work there, remember?"

"Then we can go to that new Chinese restaurant that just opened. I know you've been dying to try it." His eyes looked wide and innocent. "Please, Hales? Please?"

Haley was silent for a moment before sighing. "Ugh, fine. But when I say I want it clean, I mean _clean_."

"You got it. Your locker will be so clean you'll be able to eat off of the bottom."

"Ew, that's gross," Brooke said.

"You get my point."

The shrill sound of the bell ringing filled the hallway. First period classes were about to start.

"Walk me to class, Broody?" Brooke asked.

Lucas smiled and kissed her lips. "You got it, Cheery." The pair took off holding hands.

Peyton shook her head, bemused. "That boy is so whipped. See you at lunch, Haley."

"Bye," Haley called after her. She hastily grabbed the rest of her books and shut her locker. Just when she turned around to head to class, Haley bumped into something hard.

It was a guy. A tall guy from her first look at him. It took a moment for Haley's mind to register that it was Tree Hill's own Nathan Scott. Nathan was seen as the king of Tree Hill High. Not only was he incredibly handsome with his dark brown hair, deep blue eyes, and tall, strong frame, but he was the captain of the basketball team. Nathan also happened to be Lucas's estranged half-brother. When she finally recognized him, Haley instantly blushed.

"I'm—" she began to apologize, but it was too late. Nathan had already mumbled an apology and was now sprinting down the hallway.

Haley sighed. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised. Nathan had never noticed her and probably never would. Unfortunately, that had never stopped Haley from noticing him.

* * *

><p>"Yo, what up, baller?"<p>

"Tim, you do know you're white, right?" Nathan replied.

"Only on the outside," Tim answered and plopped into the seat beside him.

Nathan rolled his eyes and went back to eating his lunch. Tim wasn't always the sharpest crayon in the box, but they'd been best friends since kindergarten—when Tim had accidentally glued a pencil to his tongue and Nathan had to escort him to the nurse's office. Nathan still to this day had no idea how Tim had managed that one.

"You ready for practice tonight? I heard Whitey's going to have us doing suicide drills for an hour."

"So?"

"It's gonna suck, man."

Nathan shrugged. "That's life." He was used to the pain of training by now. An hour of suicides was nothing compared to the fitness regimen Nathan's dad always put him through. Dan Scott expected nothing less than perfection from his son.

Thinking of his dad, Nathan suddenly lost his appetite. He dropped the rest of his sandwich on a napkin and took a big swig of Gatorade.

"Any plans to humiliate the bastard spawn today?" Tim questioned with his mouth full of food.

Nathan knew that Tim was referring to Lucas. Ever since he'd joined the team last year, Nathan's life had only become more complicated. Basketball had always been Nathan's domain. He was part of the Scott Basketball Pedigree. His grandfather and father had been star players in high school, and Nathan had followed in their footsteps. It was his legacy to carry on. But then Lucas came along and had to ruin it.

Suddenly Nathan wasn't the only highly skilled player on the team. Now when people thought or talked about Ravens basketball, it wasn't Nathan's name that was automatically associated with it. Now it was Lucas's, too. The guy thought he was the hot shit just because he'd gone from playing street ball to varsity. But Nathan knew that it took more than raw talent to make it in the game. It took a strong mind and body. And as much and as hard as Dan had pushed Nathan over the years, Nathan knew that he had achieved both of those things on the court.

Lucas joining the team was a threat to everything Nathan had worked for, which Dan had pointed out repeatedly last year. Nathan had done everything he could to get Lucas to quit the team. He'd tried to turn the team against him, freeze Lucas out of plays, and put him through brutal hazing. Nothing worked. The bastard spawn still stuck around. The longer he stayed, the more people noticed him. Eventually their teammates followed and instead of hating Lucas, they started to respect him.

There was nothing Nathan could really do after that. He barely tolerated Lucas and only made passes to him during games when absolutely necessary. Once in a while Nathan would still pick on or aggravate Lucas, just to remind him that Nathan was captain. Lucas would then retaliate, which would lead to their coach yelling at them to get their heads out of their asses. In the end, the only thing they seemed to have in common was their mutual hatred of each other.

"Nothing set in stone yet." Nathan's eyes reluctantly honed in on Lucas's table. Brooke was sitting next to him, whispering in his ear. Next to her was Peyton and her boyfriend Jake—another member of the Ravens basketball team. On Lucas's other side was a bald, dark-skinned guy. He seemed to be content with spinning a basketball on his finger over and over again.

Having witnessed enough of what he'd dubbed the Table of Misfit Toys, Nathan started to look away when someone caught his eye. There was a petite blonde with long, wavy hair walking toward the table. She had a stack of books in her hands and appeared flustered.

"Hey, who's that girl?"

Tim looked up from his lunch. "Huh?"

Nathan nodded in her direction. "That girl carrying all of those books."

The pile seemed to teeter for a second before it came tumbling down. Without thinking, Nathan sprang out of his seat and walked over to her. Their hands reached out for the same book and brushed against each other. Nathan felt a spark course through him at the contact.

"Oh," she gasped in surprise. "Sorry."

Nathan noticed the way her cheeks colored and found that he liked it. A grin formed on his face. "It's okay. Let me help you." The girl stared at him in astonishment, not saying anything. "If that's all right with you."

"T-that's okay. I can handle it," she stammered after a short pause.

"You have a lot of books here. It's the least I can do." Nathan picked up the rest of her books, and they both stood up. "What's your name?"

She was staring at him again, and Nathan took the moment to really look at her. This girl was much more attractive up close. Her golden locks were shining in the sunlight, and she had her bottom lip tucked between her teeth. It was kind of cute, actually, Nathan thought with surprise.

"Um, I'm, um…I'm Ha—"

"Haley," another voice called in a harsh tone. It was Lucas. "What happened?" he demanded and looked between Haley and Nathan. "Did he do this?"

The accusation in Lucas's voice instantly made Nathan's blood boil. "I didn't do anything, you jackass."

"Doesn't look like it to me, moron."

"Lucas, please don't," the blonde pleaded. "Let's just go."

Lucas's gaze never strayed from Nathan's. "Well?"

"She dropped her books, and I was helping her pick them up. No need to make a big deal out of it."

"I suggest you stay away from her if you know what's good for you."

"I'll do whatever I want whenever I want, you got that?"

"Why don't you go fu—"

"Lucas," Haley said sternly. "Let's go." She took the books out of Nathan's hands, elbowed Lucas, and led the way to their regular table.

Nathan watched them walk away before sitting back down next to Tim.

"That was a close one."

"Lucas said her name was Haley," he mumbled. Nathan didn't remember seeing her around school before, which was kind of a shame considering how pretty she was. Haley was talking to her friends, and her whole face lit up when she smiled. To Nathan's astonishment, he suddenly had the urge to get up and walk over to the table just to hear her voice—Lucas be damned. The others were laughing about something she'd said.

Tim shook his head. "I don't know," he mumbled. He nudged Nathan in the arm. "Why so interested? You thinking about slumming?"

Nathan looked at Tim sharply, to which is friend abruptly stopped laughing.

"It was just a joke," Tim muttered and finished his lunch.

The rest of the time Nathan couldn't stop sneaking glances in her direction. Lucas caught him a couple of times and sent him a murderous glare. Nathan only smirked in response, which riled Lucas up more. It was too bad that the blonde girl—Haley, he remembered—was friends with his enemy. Nathan might've actually made a move.

* * *

><p>Only when Haley was in the comfort of the Tutoring Center did she let her mind wander to the event at lunch. She'd been in total shock when Nathan had come over to help her—especially since he'd bumped into her earlier and had barely given her a second glance. Haley wasn't sure what had changed. All she could manage to feel at the time was embarrassment at her klutziness and shyness at the way Nathan kept looking at her. Haley had nearly jumped out of her skin when their hands did touch.<p>

It had been so surreal. Haley couldn't count the number of times she'd pictured something like that in her head. Usually they were just daytime fantasies that she used to take a break from her teachers' boring lectures. The chance of them coming true was a long shot—at least until today.

The sound of the Tutoring Center door opening snapped Haley back to the present. She noticed her tutee, Brian, walk in.

"Okay, before you get mad at me, I went to the library to try and find books about my project. But the librarian told me they were all checked out. So I looked online and found some—" Brian rambled.

"Brian, it's okay. I know they were checked out." Haley pointed to the stack of books on the table. "I was the one that got them."

Brian breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God."

Haley took a seat at the table, and Brian followed suit. "Where would you like to start?" she inquired.

The overwhelmed expression on Brian's face as he stared at the stack of books was answer enough. Haley took the lead and helped Brian make an outline of the major points he'd like to mention about the subject in his paper. They were actually on a roll and making progress when someone came bursting through the door.

"Oh my God, Haley, it's terrible. It's absolutely terrible!" Brooke exclaimed.

"Brooke," Haley stated, stunned. "What are you doing here? What's the matter?"

"You don't know?"

"Don't know what?" Haley was completely confused as Brooke started to pace back and forth, ranting to herself. "Brooke, tell me what's going on."

"It's the time capsule," the brunette finally replied.

"What about it?"

"Someone released it early, and now it's playing all over the school."

Panic suddenly overcame Haley. "What?"

"Come on." Brooke grabbed Haley's hand and dragged her out into the hallway. The video monitor hanging from the ceiling was on. Some random student was on the screen talking about all of the girls he'd hooked up with, which seemed to include one of the faculty members. Gasps and catcalls could be heard throughout the crowd.

Haley put her hand to her mouth. Brooke was right. This was a disaster.

"Oh, God. They need to shut this thing off. No one can see what I did in my video."

Seeing Brooke panic about her entry made Haley think of her own. She also found herself filled with utter dread. The things she'd said in the time capsule were personal. Highly personal. Haley had said things she'd never told anyone, because she never thought anyone else would see it. Haley was beginning to regret being so honest.

"Do you guys see this?" It was Lucas, along with Peyton and Jake.

_I've pretty much been with all the hot girls_, Tim Smith's voice rang out through the hallway. _Freshmen. Seniors. I even hooked up with the new girl, Anna. Oh, and I'm currently dating Brooke Davis... _

"What the hell!" Brooke exclaimed in fury.

"Well, I guess you gotta give him points for an overactive imagination," Peyton joked.

"Oh, he's got an overactive something, all right. Let's see how imaginative he is when my fist meets his face."

Another student's confession popped up on the screen. The kid was overweight and had brown hair and glasses.

_So you want to know what it's like in my high school. Well, the truth is there's not a single person in this place worth remembering. You see, people here are fake. So they stick to their cliques to hide it. The stoners are medicated. The honor students are afraid. And the jocks, well, they're jocks, man. They'll peak at seventeen and their cheerleader girlfriends will be fat and lonely by twenty one. Losers! Everyone here is a loser. And the truth is every day that I have to come to this school, is one less day I have to come back... _

"Who's that?" Peyton mumbled.

Lucas was staring at the screen with a pensive look on his face. "It's Jimmy Edwards."

"Who?"

"We used to hang out."

"He sounds pretty angry," Jake commented.

"No offense, but who cares about him. We need to stop this thing before my entry comes on," Brooke interrupted.

"Brooke, I'm sure they—" Haley began when she saw her own face appear on the screen. "Oh no. We have to shut this thing off."

_So the time capsule. I have to say that I think this is a really cool idea. I think it's nice that we get the chance to share a piece of our world with future generations. There seems to be so much to talk about that I don't really know where to start. I guess if I had to describe myself then I'd say that I was pretty average. I do well in school, I tutor, I have great friends, a large family, and work at Karen's Café. If the café is still around in fifty years, by the way, I totally recommend it. Karen's food is amazing. _

_But if I had to choose one thing in my life that I'm most grateful for, then I'd have to say that it's my best friend, Lucas Scott. We've known each other since we were eight years old. And in case you're wondering, it is so not like that whole Joey-loves-Dawson scenario, which would be totally gross. _Haley shuddered and continued, _I love Lucas, but he's practically my brother. Anyway, we've been through a lot together. I'm actually really proud of him. He finally tried out for the Ravens basketball team and made it. I know that basketball is really important to him. It's great to finally see him living his dream. _

_He's also dating the most popular girl in school, Brooke Davis. Brooke and I have actually gotten really close lately. I've even become friendly with Peyton Sawyer and Jake Jagleiski. It's kind of weird when you think about it considering that we all run in completely different social circles. They're all part of the basketball crowd while I'm a lowly tutor_, Haley laughed. _Although if I keep my GPA up, I might be class valedictorian by the time we graduate. That's gotta count for something, right?_

_I know what you're probably thinking. This time capsule entry is supposed to be about me, Haley James. So why am I rambling on about everyone else but me? I guess the answer is that I don't know. Well, I do kind of know but admitting it is another thing. _She paused for a moment. _It seems like everyone else's lives around me are evolving. My friends are all branching out and trying new things. With me, well, I sort of feel stuck. Sometimes I feel incredibly disconnected and really uncomfortable in my own skin. It's kind of like I don't fit into this world. Like I was born at the wrong time, and I don't belong. _

_From what I said earlier, it probably seems like I have everything that's important. What more could I possibly ask for? Maybe the reason why I tend to feel so detached from everyone else is because I've been keeping some things to myself for so long. It's shocking but yes, I, Haley James, have a secret. And if it ever got out, I can tell you right now I would be totally embarrassed and mortified. But even worse, it would probably really hurt my best friend._

Haley sighed and said_, You see, Lucas has this half-brother. His name is Nathan. He's the star of the Ravens basketball team and by far the most popular guy in school. You're all probably rolling your eyes right now and saying that I'm just another love-struck teenager with a crush. Everyone falls for the king of the school. It's what's supposed to happen. But you see, the thing is that I don't fall for just anyone easily. I'm not even sure why I'm so moved by him. And it's not just because of his looks, which I have to say are top-notch. _

_Nathan and Lucas have the same father, but they're far from being a family. Dan Scott got Lucas's mom pregnant in high school but never acknowledged her afterward. When he got Nathan's mom pregnant in college, he married her instead. Lucas and Nathan have been at odds since they were kids because of it._

_Nathan isn't always the nicest person, especially to my best friend. I know he has this reputation around school of being an arrogant bad boy. But for some reason I can't explain, I've just always had this feeling that it was all an act. That maybe there's more to him than he's letting on. I know Lucas has struggled with the fact that Dan wouldn't accept him, but I also wonder about Nathan. What's it like for him to know that his father has another son he's never claimed? If Dan Scott could do that to Lucas, what else is the guy capable of? Maybe I'm completely wrong but growing up with a father like that can't be easy. _

Haley shrugged. _But that's my sad story and big dark secret. I'm in love with my best friend's brother and neither one knows about it. Sometimes I feel like my life is the sequel to _Sixteen Candles_, with Molly Ringwald pining after Jake and never being noticed. And if you guys don't know what _Sixteen Candles_ or who Molly Ringwald is, you seriously need to brush up on your cinematic history. It's a classic, trust me. _

_Well, that's all I really have to say. I hope in fifty years that this entry has helped at least one of you understand your lives a little bit better and feel like you're not alone. And if it hasn't, then at least you got some entertainment out of it and a little break from your schoolwork. Anyway, good luck Class of 2055. I'm sure you'll figure it out. _

Haley could feel the eyes of everyone in the hallway on her. She wanted nothing more than to bolt out of the school and go hide in a corner somewhere. The whole school had seen her confession. Had heard what she said and who she was talking about. It was all out in the open now.

Reluctantly, Haley turned to face the one person whose opinion mattered the most. Her eyes met Lucas's icy blue ones. The shock, hurt, and betrayal were evident in them.

"Lucas," she said, but it was too late. He'd already turned away from her and started walking down the hall. Haley wanted to go after him, but he was too quick. He had already disappeared into the crowd of students.

"Shit, someone turn this off," Brooke demanded. She was now on the TV.

_Let's see, in ten years I'll probably be married to my boyfriend, Lucas Scott. At least I hope I am. You'll probably know him as _the_ Lucas Scott, star player of the Charlotte Bobcats. Or the great American author since he's so into books and stuff. I'm sure you're probably looking at this and making fun of my outfit, right? _

_Anyway, here is all you really need to know about today. If you're fat, dumb, sexual, and a guy, you're okay. If you're a girl, not so much. Please tell me that's changed in the future. Somebody tell me you've got love figured out, because I've got news for you: It's pretty darn messy right now. But I guess it's always been that way, wanting to be loved and to find somebody that makes your heart ache in a good way. To feel understood. _

_So if you're robots or aliens or something else and you're watching this right now and that feeling no longer exists, well, you missed it. And I feel sorry for you. I guess as far as I can tell that's what it's all about. And that's what it always should be about. _

_But if you're watching this in 2055, there really needs to be some sort of record of my body at its peak. Oh, what the hell_, Brooke said and started to lift up her shirt.

"Can somebody do something?" Brooke shouted as the image of herself on the screen started to undo her bra.

Peyton shook her head, laughing. "You didn't."

Haley saw Principal Turner and Coach Durham run toward the electrical box.

_Now, if you guys are space aliens, you probably have three of these but I haven't gotten any complaints so far. _

"Coming through," Brooke exclaimed, carrying a chair. She made her way to the TV when the power shut down. The entire hallway was filled with groans and complaints. Brooke dropped the chair, relieved. A second later, though, the power came back on and the hallway erupted in cheers as TV Brooke flashed the audience.

_You probably have eight sets of eyes, which means that I would have sixteen boobs, which would mean my lingerie bill would go through the roof. _

Brooke covered her face with her hands as Peyton patted her back. "Oh, God."

"Attention all students," Principal Turner shouted. "Proceed to your lockers and pack up. There will be an early dismissal today."

Haley did as instructed but felt no where near relieved. Classes may be officially cancelled, but the damage had already been done.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow guys, I am in total awe at the feedback that I got for this story! Thank you all so much for taking the time to review. I know you're all eager to see where I'm taking this and to get Nathan's perspective on everything. So here is the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Humiliation. It was the only emotion that kept washing over Haley. Humiliation over what she said in her video. Humiliation at seeing the look on Lucas's face and him walking away. Humiliation as she hurried out of the school with everyone's eyes on her. Humiliation just imagining Nathan's reaction to her confession.

Haley couldn't get home fast enough. When she did finally arrive at her house, Haley had gone straight to her room. Her mother would surely ask about her day, and Haley did not want her to see the tears that had already begun to stream down her face. She just wanted to be alone.

After about an hour, Haley's tears finally started to dry. There was no use feeling sorry for herself. What really mattered was how Lucas felt. If she felt horrible, then he must feel ten times worse. Mustering all of her courage, Haley had picked up the phone and dialed Lucas's number. He didn't answer his cell phone, so she called the house. Karen had answered and said that he wasn't home yet, but she'd tell Lucas that Haley called. She doubted that he'd call her back, though.

Haley clutched her teddy bear, Mr. Waffles, closer to her body and sighed. Whoever released that time capsule sure did make a mess of things.

"This is such a fucking mess!" Brooke exclaimed, bursting through Haley's bedroom door.

Haley abruptly sat up. "Brooke, what are you doing here?"

"I am going to kill the little pervert who released that time capsule. He'll be lucky if they can identify his body by the time I'm done with him," the brunette continued to rant. "As if the whole school seeing my boobs wasn't bad enough!"

"Brooke, calm down. What are you going on about?"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?" Haley questioned, getting a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach for the second time that day.

Brooke walked over to Haley's desk and grabbed her laptop. She turned it on and opened up the internet browser. She continued typing before finally placing the computer in front of Haley.

"Oh my God," Haley muttered as she watched the video of a girl from her class. Haley's eyes widened a second later when the girl admitted to being a lesbian.

_Well, that explains the times I saw her staring at me in the locker room_, Haley thought. She shook head to clear her thoughts and turned to Brooke. "It's gone viral?"

"Yup."

"So anyone can see this?"

"Uh-huh," Brooke replied and moaned. "It's official. I'm internet porn. Some little pimply-faced pervert is probably watching my entry right now and…making nice with himself." She shuddered at the thought.

Running her hands through her hair, Haley sighed. "Great. This is just great. Not only does the whole town know that I love Nathan, but now so does the whole world."

"At least you didn't show them your breasts." Brooke flopped down and buried her face in Haley's pillow. "I've been trying to call Lucas, but he won't answer his phone. He's probably so pissed."

"I wouldn't blame yourself. He's probably just trying to avoid me. He was really angry when he saw my video."

Brooke's head popped up. "Which reminds me." She smacked Haley's arm.

"Ow!" Haley exclaimed, rubbing the sore spot. "What the hell was that for?"

"We are supposed to be friends, Tutor Girl. How could you not tell me that you're in love with Nathan?"

"No one was supposed to know! Hell, even I don't understand it. And it's not like anything would come of me telling anyone."

"Haley, you can tell me anything. And if I knew, I totally could've hooked you and Nathan up."

That surprised Haley. "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad? Did you think that just because I'm dating Lucas that I'd take his side and automatically hate Nathan?"

"Well, essentially yes," she replied.

"I love Lucas, but sometimes the heart wants what it wants. You can't control love. And I personally don't think Nathan's as bad as he lets on," Brooke revealed. "If you'd of asked me, I'd have told you to go for it."

Haley was touched by her friend's support, but it still didn't make her feel any less horrible. "He doesn't even know I exist, Brooke. And honestly, I've been okay with that."

"He noticed you today," Brooke pointed out.

"Nathan was just being polite. It was nothing."

"The boy got up from his table to help you and then couldn't stop looking at you for the rest of the period. That is not nothing."

"Regardless, nothing can happen. Lucas was really upset earlier. He's my best friend, and I can't let him down."

"You've got a life to live, too, you know."

Haley shrugged and looked away. "I accepted my fate a long time ago, Brooke. Nothing will change that. Except now I'm officially the laughing stock of the entire school."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad. Everyone went off on the time capsule. They're all probably worried about what they said, never mind you."

"You have a point," Haley said, hoping her friend was right. She smiled teasingly at Brooke. "Thanks for the advice, Hooter Girl."

Brooke groaned and buried her face back in Haley's pillow. "So not cool, Traitor Girl!"

* * *

><p><em>So you want me to tell you something about myself. I don't really have anything to say. Even if I did, you'd be wrong to believe me. Trust is a lie. Nobody ever knows anyone. But if you're that desperate to learn something about me, then all you need to know is that I'm Nathan Scott and basketball is my life. It's pretty much my shot at everything from here on out. I've never really been into school. I'm usually too busy with practice, games, and partying. Even if I did care about my grades, my training schedule is intense. My dad keeps me pretty busy.<em>

_You see, everyone thinks that it's just my dream to go to Duke and eventually play in the NBA. But it's not. It's my dad's, too. My father, Dan Scott, was a big basketball star in his day. He played for the Ravens and then went on to play for UNC. But he suffered a knee injury his freshman year, and that was it for his career. My dad's always going on about how he would've been one of the greats. Since his dream is gone, it's up to me now to make it for the both of us. _

_If only it were that easy to please him. He's always picked me apart and criticized me about my game. Most of the time he claims that I'm too weak or lacking the drive that he had. Lately it's been getting worse. You see, my dad has another son. He got his girlfriend in high school pregnant but broke up with her before college. Three months later he met my mom at school and got her pregnant. I guess you can say he was always the overachiever. _Nathan rolled his eyes. _Anyway, Dan married my mom in the end and has had nothing to do with his other son. For the most part this other kid was forgotten—until recently. You see, Lucas decided to join the basketball team, and my life's been a living hell ever since. Not only did he take my position, but now he's getting friendly with my teammates. The Ravens are supposed to be my team. I'm sure you've been able to conclude that my dad is really pissed about it all. He says I'm letting it all slip away._

_But that's not the worst of it. You want to know what the worst part is? I'll look at my dad and sometimes I swear that he's thinking he picked the wrong son. Sometimes I wonder if he did. He's never mentioned Lucas, but I know that Dan's been comparing us all of our lives. Maybe I'm not meant to be the son Dan wants me to be. Maybe Lucas is actually the lucky one. Even my relationship with my mom isn't that good. She's away for work all of the time. And when she is home, I can tell she's only talking to me out of guilt for her extended business trips. I can't say that I blame her, though. If I had the choice of getting away from Tree Hill and my dad for a while, I'd take it. It doesn't mean it doesn't suck, though. Sometimes I actually wish that my knee will give out just so I don't have to deal with the pressure anymore. Maybe I'd actually have a life that's my own. _

_I'm sure that sounds pretty broken. _He shrugged, his expression hard._ But don't feel sorry for me. I don't want or need anyone's pity. The truth is I love the game. I just hate the way my father uses it to dictate my life. But what can you do? We've all got our crosses to bear, and this is mine. _

_So what's the moral of the story? As far as I'm concerned, there isn't one. People are mean and life's a bitch. The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be._

Nathan sat at his desk, unable to pry his eyes away from his laptop. He couldn't help but cringe as he watched his time capsule video. He felt like such an idiot. The only reason he'd been so honest was because no one was supposed to see it. At least not for a very long time. It was already a disaster that the time capsule had been leaked at school. The fact that it was now on the internet for anyone and everyone to see just made the whole thing that much worse. The things he said…well, he would just have to hope that his father never finds out about what happened. He'd never live it down.

A few more videos played before the one Nathan had been waiting for finally appeared on the screen. He'd been shocked when he'd seen Haley's video earlier. Nathan had no idea that she'd had feelings for him. Hell, he had no idea she even existed before he saw her at lunch today. Then suddenly this video popped up, and so much more was revealed. Nathan wondered how he never noticed Haley before. Despite being Lucas's best friend, there had to have been times when he saw her around school.

Nathan had to admit that he was flattered by her entry. Haley said that she was in love with him, and the prospect intrigued him. Normally he would dismiss her feelings as a crush, but something told him this wasn't the case. Haley seemed genuine in her video and very unlike the other popularity-seeking girls at school. What really got to him, though, was how well she'd been able to read him. It was almost scary. Nathan's image was everything. He'd worked hard to build it. Of course it was probably shot to hell now. But Haley, she managed to see right past it from the beginning.

Hitting the replay button, Nathan was about to watch the video again when he heard the front door open. Dan was home. He could hear his footsteps coming up the stairs. Nathan quickly shut his laptop and grabbed a textbook, turning to a random page.

His bedroom door opened. "Nathan, I saw your car outside. What are you doing home? Don't you have practice this afternoon?"

"It got cancelled."

"What?" Dan retorted, his eyes narrowing. "Why?"

"There was this…prank that some students played at school. Everyone was sent home early and after-school activities were cancelled so that the mess could be cleaned up," Nathan carefully explained.

Dan shook his head and scoffed. "Typical Whitey."

"He didn't really have a choice," Nathan muttered.

"That is ridiculous. You have a game this weekend against Oak Lake. They're good this year, and you boys will need as much time to train as possible."

"We're ready, Dad."

His father obviously wasn't listening. "Get dressed. We're going for a run."

"But, Dad, I have homework," Nathan interrupted.

"Homework isn't important, son. What's important is shining this year for the scouts, and that's not going to happen with you looking winded all of the time on that court."

"Winded?" Nathan repeated. "I haven't been winded."

"You were winded in the fourth quarter and almost cost your team the win. Now get dressed and meet me downstairs in ten minutes."

"But, Dad—"

"Now," Dan barked and turned to leave.

Nathan slammed his book shut and threw it off of his desk. He just couldn't catch a break.

* * *

><p>Haley kept her eyes forward and her head held high, intent on her goal. She didn't want to look at any of her classmates, although she could feel their eyes on her. She could only imagine what they were thinking and whispering.<p>

"_There goes that loser with the crush on Nathan. Just who does she think she is?"_

"_Like she actually has a chance with him. Puh-lease."_

"_Did you see Lucas walk away from her yesterday? Drama!"_

Shaking her head, Haley cleared her mind and continued walking to her locker. She was hoping Lucas would be there so they could talk. The books he needed for his first few classes were in there, after all. He'd have to show up eventually to get them.

"Hey, Haley," a female voice greeted and sidled up to her.

"Hey, Peyton."

"Today is nuts. I was hoping they'd cancel classes again, but I guess they like to torture us."

"Tell me about it."

"I can't believe that I said I loved Jake on the time capsule. I haven't even said it to his face yet."

"Well, at least he said he loved you on his," Haley replied, looking on the bright side.

"It's still weird, though. It's like, what do we do when we see each other? Has our relationship been taken to the next level already, or do we just pretend like it didn't happen and go back to normal?"

"You guys will figure it out. Just be thankful you didn't admit your feelings to someone who barley knows you exist."

Peyton smiled. "So you and Nathan, huh?"

"There is no me and Nathan," she pointed out.

"Look, it's cool if you like him. I mean, he was a total ass when we dated, but I always thought that he could be a better person. I think that's why I stayed with him for so long. You just have to be careful."

"Honestly, Nathan is the last person on my mind right now."

Peyton nodded in understanding. "I gather that you haven't talked to Lucas yet."

"Nope. That's where I'm headed now. I'm hoping to ambush him at my locker."

"Good luck. I'm off to find Brooke. Last I heard she was ripping some freshman a new one in the quad for printing out pictures of her topless debut."

"Yikes."

"Yeah."

"Good luck reining in Hurricane Brooke."

Peyton motioned to Haley's locker. Lucas was there collecting his things. "You, too."

"Thanks." The two parted ways, and Haley hurried to her locker. Unfortunately, Lucas had already spotted her and was about to take off.

"Hey, can we talk?" Haley questioned, ignoring the stares they were getting at the moment.

Lucas slammed the locker shut. "I have nothing to say." He started to walk away, but Haley followed him.

"That's okay, because I do. Luke. Luke!" she called after him, struggling to keep pace with his long strides. "Will you please wait?"

"I've got class."

"Lucas." She reached out and grabbed his arm to halt him. "Lucas, I am so sorry."

He turned toward her. "For what? For falling in love with my ass of a brother, or for lying about it all this time? Or maybe you're only sorry because you got caught."

"Lucas, I'm sorry that I hurt you. You were never meant to see that video."

"I guess we'll go with the third option." Lucas pulled his arm away from her and turned the corner.

Haley continued to follow. "It's not like I wanted to feel that way, Lucas. It just happened."

"So that makes it okay?"

"No, but you're acting like I had a relationship with him behind your back."

"Do you?"

"No! He doesn't even know I exist."

"It didn't look like that yesterday."

"He was just helping me pick up my books. It was nothing."

They stopped in the middle of the hallway, and he whipped around to face her. "And what if he did really notice you, huh? Would you go with him? After all of the hell he and his father have put me through, would you still give him a chance?" he demanded, fuming.

Haley halted, thrown by his question. "I'm still your best friend, Luke. That would never change," she said carefully.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I don't know what would happen if he noticed me. But I do know that I would always have your back."

Lucas scoffed and shook his head. "That's impossible, since you've already stuck a knife in it."

"Lucas," Haley muttered, her eyes watering. This was even worse than she thought.

"You betrayed me, Haley. I thought you were my best friend, but I was wrong. Apparently I don't know you at all. But if this is the person you're becoming, then I want nothing to do with you. We are not friends anymore."

Haley opened her mouth to object when something in her peripheral vision caught her eye. She noticed Jimmy Edwards walking down the hallway with his hands tucked into the front pocket of his hoodie. His eyes were set on something. Haley looked to her right and saw that he was staring at the jocks ransacking his locker. They threw the last of his books at his feet before high-fiving each other and walking away.

Jimmy's eyes closed for a second before he pulled his hand out of his pocket. Haley's own eyes widened in shock when she saw the gun he was holding. Jimmy called out to the group of guys and a shot was fired. Time seemed to pass in an instant and yet move in slow motion all at once as the whole hallway of students erupted in panic. People started screaming and running, pushing each other out of the way

Haley could feel herself getting lost in the shuffle but couldn't really focus on getting away. The hot, searing pain shooting up her leg consumed her thoughts. Haley fell to the ground, unable to stand. And then the next thing she knew, she was overtaken by the crowd.

* * *

><p>Nathan checked his watch and saw that he only had a couple of minutes before the bell would ring, signaling second period. He'd had a free period that morning and decided to take the opportunity to study some of the Ravens' latest game tapes. Not to mention that the AV closet gave him a chance to avoid the drama that was the time capsule. Nathan didn't feel like dealing with the whispers and stares that morning. Although he wondered how anyone could judge him, since pretty much everyone had said something embarrassing on the time capsule. Tim was practically avoiding the entire female student body after claiming that he'd slept with them.<p>

Realizing he couldn't hide out for much longer, Nathan took off his headphones, shut off the tape and TV, and grabbed his backpack. The last thing he needed was to be late for English and get detention on top of everything. Opening the door, Nathan stepped into the hallway and frowned.

_What the hell?_

The hallway was completely empty. There were no students hurrying to class or groups of friends talking by their lockers. It was oddly silent. Was there an assembly that he hadn't been aware of? Nathan shrugged and decided to head to English anyway. It was when he turned the corner that he knew something was definitely wrong. Lockers were left wide open and backpacks and books were scattered everywhere.

_Was there a fire drill? _There wasn't an alarm blaring. And why would people leave their things behind?

Nathan noticed a cell phone on the floor. This was serious. No teenager would leave behind a cell phone unless there was truly an emergency. Something had spooked his classmates big time.

Not wanting to hang around and find out for himself, Nathan made his way down the hallway. He moved as quietly as possible. The only other scenario he could think of was a rogue student. Images of what had happened at Columbine years ago flashed in his mind. Nathan shivered and quickened his pace. He had to get out of this school now.

He turned another corner, his mind set on finding the nearest exit. That is until he saw a pile of broken glass. Even more disturbing was the bright red substance gleaming off of it.

_Blood_.

Someone was hurt.

Nathan looked from the glass to the trail of smeared blood. Whoever was hurt had tried to move. Maybe someone had helped the kid and gotten him to safety already. He realized a second later that that couldn't be possible. The trail was going in the opposite direction of the exit. Nathan looked ahead of him and then back at the trail, trying to figure out what to do. Could he really leave knowing that someone was injured and needed help? But what if the person hurt was the perpetrator?

Making a split-second decision and swearing under his breath, Nathan put down his backpack and followed the blood trail. Eventually he found himself standing in front of the door to the boy's locker room. Whoever was injured was inside. Nathan glanced around and found a bag of gym equipment on the floor.

He bent down to search through the bag. _Perfect_, he thought, picking up the baseball bat. It was no match for a gun, but it was still something. Nathan took a moment to calm himself before opening the door slowly and quietly.

His assumption that someone was inside was confirmed when he heard movement. It was coming from the back of the locker room, which was where the blood trail also led. Nathan held the bat tightly in his hands and walked forward. He was just in front of the final row of lockers when he halted. This was it. There was no turning back now.

Nathan gripped the bat tighter and raised it up. He then sprang forward from his hiding place. "Put your hands where I can see them," he demanded as someone screamed. With his adrenaline pumping overtime, it took a moment for Nathan to process the sight before him.

The injured person was a girl. She was sitting on the floor in a pool of blood, clutching her leg as tears streamed down her face.

Nathan lowered the bat and stared at her in shock. "Haley?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Again, thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this story. I know you're all eager to see what will happen between Naley. So here is the next chapter. Please read and review!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Nathan's eyes widened as he stared at Haley. He couldn't believe that it was her. Dropping the bat, he crouched down in front of her.

"N-Nathan." Her voice trembled.

"Oh my God, Haley, what happened?"

"Someone brought a gun to school and it went off. People scattered, and I got caught in the crowd and fell on some glass."

"Damn, you're losing a lot of blood. I have to get you out of here."

Haley shook her head. "No, I can't walk. I already tried. It hurts too much. I'm lucky I could even crawl in here."

"Okay, then you stay here while I—" He started to stand up when Haley took hold of his arm.

"No, please don't leave me," she begged, sobbing. "Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone. It's not safe."

"Okay, okay," Nathan tried to soothe. Haley was in full on panic mode—not that he blamed her after everything that she'd been through this morning.

Nathan surveyed the room, trying to figure out their best option. They couldn't stay in the locker room. It was too much open space, and even the tiniest sound would echo off the walls. Finally Nathan's eyes landed on Whitey's office.

"Nathan," Haley cried when he started to get up again.

He placed a hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes. "It's okay. I'm not leaving you. I'm just going to lock the door. All right?" His gaze willed her to trust him.

Haley bit her lip and nodded before releasing his arm. Nathan got up and quickly walked to the front of the locker room. He locked the door then made his way back to Haley.

"We have to move into Whitey's office. It'll be safer in there."

"Okay."

"I'm going to have to carry you, though," he added.

Haley knew that he was asking permission to touch her. If it had been any other time, she would've been moved by the gesture. But with her leg throbbing in pain and potential gunmen on the loose in the school, romance was the last thing on her mind.

After Haley gave him the go-ahead, Nathan slid his arms under her and lifted her up as gently as possible. He walked them into Whitey's office and set Haley down on the floor behind Whitey's desk.

"Nathan, the window," Haley spoke up. Whitey had a window built into his wall that allowed him to look into the locker room. Anyone who entered the locker room would see them instantly.

"I know," Nathan replied. "I'm going to secure everything. Just stay right here and try to keep pressure on that leg."

Nathan left the office to grab the baseball bat. When he came back in, he shut the door and locked it. He then put down the shades to the window and grabbed Whitey's bookcase. After emptying it, he lifted it onto the filing cabinets so that it covered the glass. The desk he moved in front of the door. There was another small window on the back wall of the office, but it wouldn't offer them an escape. It just faced the enclosed quad.

Once he was sure that he'd done everything he could to secure the office, Nathan returned to Haley. She'd stopped crying but was still obviously in pain. "How's the leg holding up?"

"I'm trying to keep the pressure on it but…" she trailed off when he pushed her hands aside.

Nathan examined the wound and tried to keep a straight face.

"Well?"

"It's definitely glass," he replied, almost choking on the lie.

Haley leaned back against the wall and sighed. "Figures. As if this day wasn't bad enough." She lifted her hands and stared at the blood on them. "This has to be some kind of nightmare."

"Do you have your phone?"

Haley shook her head. "No. I dropped it earlier. You?"

Nathan stared at the lack of bars on the screen. "No service. I always did tell Whitey that this office was like a time capsule itself."

Their eyes locked for a second before Haley looked away. She could feel her cheeks turning red at the mention of the time capsule. Apparently the current danger they were in wasn't enough to completely erase her embarrassment.

Nathan noticed her blush and smirked without thinking. He cleared his throat a second later, though, and reminded himself of the severity of their situation. "Since we might be here for a while, we should probably put something on that to stop the bleeding."

"Okay," Haley quickly agreed.

"There might be something in Whitey's desk," Nathan said and stood up. He searched through some of the drawers but found nothing. Sighing in frustration, Nathan loosened his tie. It was starting to feel tight.

That's when it hit him. _The tie_. He started to undo the whole thing. "We can use my tie to stop the bleeding."

"Are you sure that'll work?" The tie wasn't thick or that wide. It wouldn't be long before it was soaked through.

"It will put pressure on it, but I don't think it'll absorb the blood," Nathan answered. "We could always…"

Haley's eyes widened when Nathan knelt down in front of her and started unbuttoning his shirt. "What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you my shirt to cover the wound. Then we'll put the tie around it to keep it in place."

"That'll ruin it."

Nathan smirked. "It's okay. I don't really like this shirt anyway. I only wore it because Whitey makes us dress up on game days."

"Oh." She almost started to relax until she saw Nathan also take off his undershirt. "Now what are you doing?" Suddenly she was face to face with his chiseled torso.

"You need something to wipe the blood off of your hands with."

"I can just wipe them on my jeans."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It's no big deal," she rushed out, trying not to stare at the male perfection that was his body. "You need something to wear."

Nathan couldn't help but chuckle at her behavior. Haley's eyes were downcast and her cheeks flushed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was the first time you've ever seen a guy naked," he teased.

"I've seen plenty of guys naked. I mean you're not naked. You're half-naked. I've seen guys half-naked. But not naked guys. I mean, if guys were walking around naked then I'd see them. But it's not like I go around and—I'm just going to stop talking now." Haley ceased her rambling, feeling even more like a dork than before.

"Relax, Haley, I'm just joking with you."

"Just tie the damn thing," she muttered, unable to meet his gaze.

Nathan chuckled under his breath but stopped when he noticed Haley wince and inhale sharply. "Sorry. Is that too tight?" He adjusted the shirt and tie.

"No, it's fine. I think it'll hurt no matter how tight you make it."

Running his hand along her calf, Nathan checked to make sure the makeshift bandage was secure before finally sitting down. He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. They'd done all they could to stay safe and avoid any urgent medical emergencies. Now all that was left to do was wait.

* * *

><p>The minutes on the clock ticked by, and Haley felt herself becoming antsy. Had it only been a half hour that passed? It felt like a lot longer. Not to mention that she and Nathan practically jumped at every little sound they heard. The worst had been when the helicopters arrived. They could hear them circling through the air over and over again. It looked as if the media had finally caught up to them. They were officially part of the circus now.<p>

Haley shifted and tried moving her injured leg to rest on the floor. She gasped as the pain shot through her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just trying to get comfortable. Or as comfortable as I can be."

"Don't push yourself. Let me help." Nathan gently took hold of her leg and guided it down. "That better?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Sure."

"So…"

"So…"

An awkward silence passed between them.

"Did you really mean what you said on the time capsule?" he finally spoke up.

Haley's whole body tensed. "I'd really rather not talk about it right now."

"We've got time to kill. Why not?"

"Because…"

"Because why?" Nathan prodded.

"Because it's none of your business."

"It's none of my business that you said you loved me?"

"I never said I loved you."

"Um, yeah you did."

"Yeah, well, it was a momentary lapse in judgment."

"So you don't love me?"

"There is a student or students in the school with a _gun_ right now. I hardly think this is the time to talk."

"Actually, it's the perfect time to talk. We might never get this chance again. And you still haven't answered my question," he pointed out, smiling smugly.

Haley huffed in annoyance. "Fine, you want to talk. Let's talk, because I've got a question for you. Why are you so mean to Lucas?"

That caught Nathan off guard. "What?"

"You heard me? Do you get some kind of thrill out of making your brother's life a living hell, or is it something your father put you up to?"

"He is not my brother, and we are not talking about my father," he stated, gritting his teeth.

"Then we're not talking about my time capsule video," Haley countered.

"How about we just don't talk at all?"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

* * *

><p>The bell rang to announce the start of third period. In the silence, the shrill ringing sounded louder than ever.<p>

"I'm supposed to be in current events this period," Nathan said, his voice low. He'd been staring at the wall for the last hour and felt himself getting restless.

Haley continued to fiddle with the ring on her pinky finger. "I think this counts."

"Where are you supposed to be?"

"Calculus."

"Good luck with that. I think I'd prefer the glass in my leg."

"You're welcome to switch places with me."

Nathan nodded at her leg. "Does it still hurt?"

"Yes, but I'm getting used to it."

"I'm sorry you're hurt."

"It's not your fault."

"Did you see the shooter?"

"Yes." Remembering the moment when she first saw the gun sent a shiver up Haley's spine. All of this still felt so surreal.

"Who was it?"

Haley hesitated before answering, "Jimmy Edwards."

"Who?"

"Jimmy Edwards. He was the one who ranted on the time capsule about how he hated everyone."

"The kid with the glasses?"

"That's him," Haley confirmed.

"Were there any more shooters?"

"I don't know. I only saw him, but you never know. I'm sure he's not the only troubled student at this school."

"Troubled? Try psycho."

"Why would you say he's psycho?"

"The kid brought a gun to school and tried to kill people. You don't think there's something wrong with that?"

"Of course I do," Haley defended. "But the kid I saw shoot that gun today did not look psycho. And he didn't look evil or mean or vengeful. If anything he looked scared."

"Scared of what?"

Haley sighed, shaking her head. "You wouldn't understand."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, Nathan. We both know that high school is a hierarchy, and that you're on top. You can pretty much say and do whatever you want and people will just follow you. But for kids like Jimmy, kids who are picked on constantly, school can be a scary and suffocating place."

"Still, it doesn't excuse his actions."

"I didn't say that it did. I'm just saying that I can understand how he might've reached the breaking point after putting up with bullies for so many years."

"You talk about him as if you know him, Haley."

"I do know him."

Nathan's head snapped up at that. "You do?"

"Yeah. He used to be one of Lucas's best friends. They'd hang out with the guys at the River Court all the time. But things changed these last couple of years, and Jimmy started to pull away from the group. Eventually they just lost touch."

Jimmy had always been a sweet guy. Haley remembered how he and their other friend Mouth wanted to be sports announcers. They would give commentary while Lucas and the guys played against one another. If they asked her a question, Haley would make a joke about not wanting to be associated with their lunacy. The pair would just laugh and then continue their play-by-play. To see that once kind, happy guy and what he'd been reduced to now, it was heartbreaking.

"That sucks."

"Yes, it does."

"What about you?" he questioned.

"What about me?"

"How do you feel in school?"

"I don't feel scared. For the most part I like school. But some days…well, let's face it. Not everyone is going to get along."

"But do you get picked on?" Nathan prodded. For some reason, he just had to know. Haley was so sweet and innocent. He hadn't known her for long, but he could tell that much. It made Nathan's blood boil to think that anyone would try to purposely hurt her.

"I used to, but not so much anymore. It's gotten better since I started hanging out with Brooke and Peyton."

"What would you get picked on for?"

"What didn't I get picked on for? My good grades, my clothes, my hair…" Haley trailed off. "Freshman year was probably the worst. I was pretty much called Whaley Haley for a year because I wasn't as thin as the other girls at the time."

Haley never shed a tear at school. She never wanted the popular girls to know that they got to her. But they had. Haley remembered going home and crying almost every day. Her mother would sit with her on the couch and stroke her hair, letting her get it all out and telling her that she was beautiful and special no matter what anyone else ever said.

"Who called you that?"

"It was a long time ago. I'm over it, Nathan."

Nathan wasn't deterred. "Who started it, Haley?"

"Rachel Gatina," she finally answered. Rachel was a tall, thin, beautiful redhead and one of the meanest girls Haley had ever met. Never had Haley seen someone get so much pleasure out of hurting other people.

Nathan looked away, feeling ashamed. "I've dated her."

"I know," Haley mumbled.

"I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, Nathan."

"It doesn't make me feel any better."

Haley couldn't help herself. She had to ask, even if she didn't like the answer. "Why did you date her anyway? What did you see in her?"

Nathan felt even worse. "Honestly, I only dated her because she was hot."

Haley shrugged. "Typical guy answer."

"I was an idiot," he admitted. "And you're not fat, Haley—at all. In fact, you look great. Beautiful, even."

"Nathan, you don't have to say that to make up for what Rachel did," she objected. "Or because I'm injured and bleeding." She didn't want him complimenting her out of pity or guilt.

"I'm not saying it because of Rachel or your injury. You're a beautiful girl, Haley James. I mean it."

His blue eyes were piercing as they gazed into hers, making her heart beat a mile a minute. "You don't even know me, Nathan." Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

"Maybe so," Nathan conceded. His eyes still bore into hers. "But I want to."


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks again for all of the amazing reviews! I have a busy weekend coming up and wanted to update before I'm swamped. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Please read and review!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

"If you could be anywhere else right now, where would you be?"

Haley thought about it for a minute. "Um…I don't know."

The pair had been playing Twenty Questions. Except now it was more like Fifty Questions, since all they had was time to kill.

"Come on. There isn't any place that you would like to visit?"

"Well…I have always had this desire to visit London."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she answered with a nod.

"Why?" Nathan was curious.

"Well, for one thing I love the history of it all. I've always wanted to see Big Ben and visit the Globe Theatre. And ride on one of those red double-decker buses. Those look cool. Plus, it rains there a lot and I love the rain."

"Interesting."

Haley rolled her eyes. "It's okay if you think it's lame. I already know I'm a dork."

"No, I wasn't thinking that at all. It sounds really cool, actually."

"What about you?" she inquired.

"No. I can't." He was shaking his head. There was no way he could tell her. It was too embarrassing.

"Oh, come on. You made me answer. You have to tell me yours."

"You're going to think it's stupid."

"I will not. Unless you say something like the Playboy Mansion," she added. "In which case, I may have to hit you on behalf of women everywhere."

"You know, I never thought about the Playboy Mansion. Thanks, Haley." He wiggled his eyebrows playfully, which did earn him a light smack on the arm from Haley.

"I'm serious." She have him her no-nonsense look.

"Okay, okay," Nathan relented. He was quickly learning just how difficult it was to refuse her. "Fine. I've always really wanted to visit…" His voice trailed off, making it hard for Haley to hear what he said.

"What?"

He said it again, only fraction louder.

Still Haley couldn't make it out. "I still can't hear you. What was that?" she prodded.

Nathan rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath. "Disney World."

"What?" Haley repeated, stunned.

"You heard me. I've always wanted to visit Disney World."

"For real?"

"Yeah." Nathan watched Haley's face and saw that she was holding back a laugh. "See, I knew you would laugh."

Haley tried to keep a straight face. "I'm not laughing."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not. I'm just…smiling."

"Whatever." Nathan folded his arms and looked away from her. "It's stupid. I know."

"Why would it be stupid? Disney is described as the happiest place on earth," she quipped. Who would ever guess that the great Nathan Scott wanted to visit the home of Mickey Mouse? That would've been Haley's last guess.

"Ha ha," he deadpanned.

"Why do you want to go there?" Haley questioned, setting her amusement aside. She was genuinely curious.

"Forget it."

"No, I want to know."

"I never got to go as a kid. It seemed like all of my friends got to go with their families. They'd come back and tell me all about it and show me pictures. Everyone always looked so happy." Nathan was staring straight ahead, lost in his own thoughts. "I've never had that."

"The family part or the happiness part?"

"Both. I tried convincing my parents to go one year. I thought maybe the place would have an affect on them. Maybe we'd be like a real, normal family. But my parents were always too busy, or my dad wanted me to focus on Junior Leagues. It never seemed like the right time."

"I'm sorry."

Nathan snapped out of his stupor and shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I'm over it now. I've learned to accept the fact that my family's just not wired that way."

"You could always go with your own family someday."

"I doubt it," he said, shaking his head. "I don't know if I'll ever settle down."

Their eyes met for a brief moment. Haley was the first to look away.

"You don't think about the future at all?"

"Sometimes. But mostly I just think about basketball." Nathan watched as Haley fiddled with her hands. "What about you?"

"I definitely want to get married and have kids someday."

"Would you be a stay-at-home mom, or would you want a career?"

"I'd try to balance both."

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I'm a tutor, and I love teaching people. I could see myself as a high school teacher someday. Either that or…"

"Or what?" he coaxed. Nathan noticed her blush and found himself intrigued even more.

"I've never actually told anyone this." Her voice had dropped to just above a whisper.

"I can keep a secret," Nathan said softly, urging her on.

Haley shook her head and looked up at the ceiling. She couldn't believe she was actually going to tell Nathan Scott this. "I've always wanted to be a singer."

"A singer? Seriously?" He had not expected that.

"Yeah. Like go on a tour and wear really cool clothes and maybe release an album." Nathan started chuckling under his breath. "What? You think it's funny?"

"No. It all sounds cool. But are you any good?"

Haley sent him a look of mock outrage. "As a matter of fact, I am," she declared.

"Oh? Where have you performed?"

"Mostly in my bedroom—and my shower." She could feel her cheeks turning red all over again. "Okay, so I haven't actually performed anywhere. The truth is I get stage fright. But that doesn't mean I'm not good."

"Well, if you want to be discovered you're going to have to put yourself out there. You could start small. Like maybe you can sing for me sometime."

Haley scoffed in disbelief. "Oh yeah. Uh-huh. That's what I'm gonna do." Just thinking about performing for him made her head spin.

"Why not?" he challenged.

"Because…I just can't." She started at him; Nathan's smile never wavered. "You can't be serious."

"You owe me a song, Haley James. And if we make it through this, I'm definitely holding you to it."

"I hate you," she pouted.

"No, you love me," he teased. His smile disappeared, however, when he noticed Haley's mood quickly go from playful to serious. She glanced away from him and sighed. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," she muttered.

"Haley."

"We should probably talk as little as possible. We don't want anyone hearing us and coming to investigate."

Nathan tried to get her to say something else, but Haley wasn't responding. She wouldn't so much as look in his direction. Nathan didn't know what had changed in the span of a few seconds but knew that he'd messed up somehow.

_Nice going, Scott_, he thought to himself. _Idiot._

* * *

><p>Haley shivered as her leg continued to throb in pain. She couldn't believe how slow time was passing. A mere fifteen minutes felt more like an hour, and still they were no closer to getting out of there.<p>

"Are you cold?" Nathan spoke up.

Without looking at him, Haley shook her head.

"You've got goose bumps, Haley."

"I'm fine."

"I'm sorry," he said after another minute.

That caught her attention. Finally she looked at him. "What?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For whatever I did to piss you off before."

"You didn't piss me off," she argued, although her voice lacked conviction.

"Yeah, I did. Why else would you be ignoring me?" he pointed out.

"Maybe I just don't feel like talking. I am injured and in a lot of pain, you know. I'm sorry if it doesn't make me all that sociable."

"Is the pain getting worse?"

"I'm getting used to it," Haley mumbled as another shiver coursed through her body.

Nathan scrutinized her. "You're cold. I know you are." He shifted closer to her.

"What are you doing?" she questioned when she felt his arm slide around her shoulders. He was pulling her into his side before she knew it.

"You're probably cold from the blood loss. I'm trying to give you some warmth."

"I don't need anything from you," Haley snapped, pushing him away. She slid herself away from him and cringed in pain from moving her injured leg.

Nathan was starting to lose his patience. "What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem. You're the one with the problem."

"Since when?"

"Since you're an ass, that's why."

"And how do you figure that?"

"Let's see: You only care about yourself and basketball, you refuse to acknowledge your brother and give him a break, and—and—" Haley struggled for the right words, she was so infuriated.

"Oh please," he scoffed, "I just saved your life."

Haley could feel her entire face turn red as the anger bubbled up inside of her. "No, you didn't."

Nathan stared at her, indignant. "Uh, yeah I did."

"I dragged myself out of that hallway."

"And you didn't get very far, did you?" he bit back. "I'm the one who carried you when you couldn't walk, secured this room, and helped stop the bleeding. I could've ignored the trail of blood in the hallway and gotten myself out. I didn't have to come looking for you, but I did. So spare me, Haley."

Haley was silent for a moment, mulling over his words. A wave of guilt suddenly hit her. He was right. Nathan didn't have to come looking for her. Most people probably would've done the opposite and just have focused on getting themselves out. The fact that he had been concerned and taken a chance in finding her spoke volumes.

"I'm sorry," she finally said. "You're right. I shouldn't have said what I did. I'm just…"

"What?" Nathan prodded.

"I just don't want you using my time capsule entry against me," her voice was so low, Nathan had to strain to hear her.

Finally he understood. "I wasn't trying to make fun of you, Haley." Nathan glanced over at her and watched Haley bite her lip, her eyes trained on the ground. He sighed. "You're right, though. I can be an ass."

She shook her head to object. "No, I was out of line."

"Not really. I said myself in the time capsule that basketball is my life. And I pretty much act like a dick to a lot of people, not just Lucas."

"Why?" Her chocolate brown eyes were teeming with curiosity.

"I don't know. It's how my father raised me, I guess."

"Do you always have to do what your father tells you?"

Nathan shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't expected their conversation to take this kind of turn. "I'll make you a deal. I'll answer your questions about my time capsule video if you'll answer mine about yours," he proposed.

Haley thought about it and as much as she wanted to deny her curiosity, she couldn't. His suggestion sounded fair. "Okay."

Now the only question was who would go first?

* * *

><p>"My dad wasn't always bad. There have been times when he's done some good things on my behalf. But I guess as I've gotten older, those moments have been fewer and farther between."<p>

Nathan couldn't believe that they were actually talking about Dan. He never discussed his father with anyone before. His mess of a family was always something that Nathan tried to keep to himself. He didn't want people judging him or seeing just how much it hurt when his father disapproved of him. Above anything else, Nathan Scott did not like to be vulnerable.

Haley was different, though. Nathan didn't know what it was about her, but his instincts were telling him to trust her. Even if he hadn't known of her feelings for him, there was something about Haley's face that conveyed her integrity and genuineness. She just didn't seem like the type of person who would listen to someone's deep, dark secrets and then use them later to tear the person down.

"What was your best memory of him?"

Nathan had to think about it. His few good memories were intermingled with the majority of bad ones. "Michael Jordan Basketball Camp. I was ten years old, and my dad had pulled some strings to get me in. It was the first day, and we were in this meet-and-greet line. Jordan was going to pick one of us kids to play one on one against him. I remember I was so nervous, my knees were about to buckle"—Nathan chanced a glance at Haley and noticed her smiling—"I think my dad could feel that, because he put his hand on my shoulder to steady me. And when Jordan finally came by, he just looked at him and said, 'This is my son, Nathan. He's got a great jump shot.'"

"And what happened?"

"I played one on one with the greatest player in history," he said, remembering every detail of that day as it played over in his mind. "It was one of the best days of my life."

"That sounds amazing."

"If only every day was like that."

"I always kind of thought that Dan was a bad person, but is he really that awful?" Haley asked.

"Yes. Which bad memory should I start with first?" he muttered, mostly to himself. "There was the time when I was seven and I was supposed to have my birthday party. Then Dan found out it was a game day for my Junior League team. He canceled the party so I could play. We lost the game anyway, and I never did get to celebrate my birthday.

"There was also the time my mom's grandfather died. I was five then. My whole family was at the wake, and we're kneeling in front of the casket. And I'm really scared because there is this old dead guy a few feet away from me. My mom is crying, and my dad says a couple words and then leans forward and kisses the corpse. Now I'm totally freaked out. And then he turns to me and tells me to kiss my great-grandfather."

Haley's eyes widened. "He didn't make you?"

"Yeah, he did. That's my dad. Kiss the hundred-year-old dead guy in makeup."

Haley put her hand to her mouth. "Nathan—"

"Oh, and there was the time when I was playing Little League baseball. I was pitching, and this kid Billy Lyons was up to bat. He was a great hitter. Everything he hit was a homerun. There was nobody on base, so I just walked him. Four straight pitches; nothing even close to a strike. Then my dad calls a timeout and walks to the mound.

"I'm thinking he's going to say 'smart move' or 'good thinking, son.' Something like that. Instead he grabs me by the arm and kicks me in the ass as hard as he can. He literally took my arm so I wouldn't, like, go flying; he kicked me so hard. Then he brought Stevie Piken in to pitch and sat me on the bench and never mentioned it again."

"My God, Nathan, I'm so sorry."

"The worst, though, was when I collapsed on the basketball court last year."

"I remember that," Haley muttered. Nathan had been playing great all night. Then all of sudden he stopped, like he'd lost his balance. She'd seen him sway on his feet before falling to the floor unconscious. Haley had been so worried about him. She knew it was ridiculous at the time. Nathan had no idea who she was and yet she had wanted nothing more than to run down onto the court to see if he was okay. She didn't think she'd ever been so scared in her life-at least until today. "Was that because of Dan?"

Nathan nodded. "We were going up against Cove City. My dad held the record for the most points scored in a game against them. I was going to try and beat it that night. My dad said I wouldn't be able to. He said I wasn't tough enough inside. It was so much pressure, and I knew that if I didn't beat him I'd never hear the end of it. So I decided to do something that would really put me at the top of my game."

"What did you do?"

"I took some performance enhancers—steroids. It was stupid, but I felt like it was my only way to win at the time. Anyway, I was doing well until I collapsed. I guess my body couldn't handle it and was dehydrated. The doctors told Dan about it, but he wouldn't listen. He kept insisting that I would never take drugs and managed to sway the doctors to forget about it. The next thing I know he comes over to me and whispers that if I really did take something, then I'm a disgrace to the game. That all of the points I scored didn't count. That I lost. Then he says we'll take back the training a notch or two and that was it. Hell, I don't even know if he'd mourn me if I was shot. He'd probably just be upset that his one chance to relive his basketball days and achieve his lost dream was taken away."

Haley stared at him with her mouth open in shock, unable to believe the horrible things he was telling her.

"So next time Lucas or anyone else spouts off about how awful it is that Dan abandoned him, they should realize that he was lucky. I'd rather not have a father at all than have this one." Nathan stared straight ahead, trying to get his emotions in check. He could feel the resentment he'd harbored all his life rising to the surface. Dan was a monster, but most people never saw that side of him. His father knew how to work people over. He could charm the pants off the devil himself.

Haley felt the anger radiating off of Nathan. His home life was so much worse than she'd ever thought. It broke her heart to know that he'd suffered those things as a boy. No child should have to go through that. Without thinking, she took his hand in hers.

Nathan looked down as he felt Haley's fingers intertwine with his. He was so shocked by the gesture that it took a moment for him to register the softness of her skin and the intensity of her grip.

"I'm so sorry, Nathan."

He gazed deep into her eyes. To his amazement, they were not filled with pity like he thought they would be. If anything, her eyes conveyed her genuine concern and...could it be admiration? Haley's touch seemed to calm him and his anger was quickly fading, but something hot was still burning inside of him. He didn't quite know what it was, but the longer he watched her the more intense the feeling became.

"My father has a lock box in his desk at work. It's filled with pictures of Lucas growing up."

That caught her by surprise. "How long have you known about it?" She still hadn't looked away.

"For as long as I can remember."

"Is that why you hate Lucas so much?"

"Maybe. But mostly I just envy him." The words had slipped out before he could stop them. He wasn't even sure he wanted to stop them. The truth had been a burden he'd been carrying for too long.

"You may not think so, but you're a strong person to keep going like you do. Your father may be awful, but he hasn't broken you."

"Not yet."

Haley squeezed his hand. "No, I don't think he will. And maybe you and Lucas are looking at all of this from the wrong angle. You're more alike than you both realize. If you weren't so focused on your differences, you'd see you both want the same thing."

"It's not fair," Nathan mumbled after a moment.

Haley could feel her cheeks heating up at his gaze. "What is?"

"He already has so much that I want." Nathan's hand reached up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear, causing a shiver to run up her spine at his touch. "Why does he have to have you, too?"

Haley could feel Nathan's breath on her face. When had they gotten so close? Did she really care? All she could seem to focus on was his intense blue eyes and the hand that was still cupping her cheek. All Haley would have to do is move in an inch more. Then nothing would be separating them.

Her lips burned when she noticed his eyes flicker down to them. Her eyelids grew heavy, wanting to close and just let the rest of her senses take over. Would it be everything she imagined it to be? Would Nathan be able to tell that this would be her first real kiss? Would it mean as much to him as it would to her?

Haley was so consumed by the questions in her mind that it took a minute to realize that Nathan's hand had dropped from her face. His other hand had detangled from her hold, and he was no longer sitting so close. Haley felt his loss instantly as the warmth his presence had provided faded.

She blinked a few times, trying to clear away the fog in her brain. What had just happened? Why had Nathan pulled away from her? Did she do something wrong? Why did she suddenly feel so empty?

Her eyes questioned him.

"I told you about Dan," Nathan finally spoke, his voice low. "It's your turn to talk now, Haley."

Unfortunately, she was at a loss for words.

Nathan was anything but deterred. "I need to know the truth. Tell me why you love me?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Haley kept her eyes on the ground, unable to meet Nathan's. How was she supposed to answer his question? Could she even answer it? She'd spent years hiding her feelings. The thought of opening up to Nathan now terrified her.

Never in a million years had Haley expected to be in a position to explain it to him. She had a hard time explaining it to herself sometimes. She and Nathan were such polar opposites. Then again, there was the old saying that opposites attract. But would that be enough?

What was she thinking? She and Nathan weren't considering being together. They were just two people thrown together, trying to survive and passing the time. Nathan's question wasn't some proclamation of his own feelings. It was mere curiosity. Suddenly Haley felt even more vulnerable.

"I don't know," Haley whispered.

Nathan didn't believe her for a second. "Come on, Haley."

"I don't."

"That's a cop-out and you know it."

"What's the point? What difference will it make?" she challenged.

"Haley—"

"I mean, you do realize that this is the first time we've ever spoken."

"Actually, the first time we spoke was yesterday," he quipped, but Haley was not amused. "Sorry. Maybe start with why you said anything on the time capsule to begin with. You knew that people would see it eventually."

"I didn't think anyone would see it until fifty years from now. And by then, I figured the things we'd all said would be a distant memory or seem inconsequential. It'd almost be like a joke."

"So the way you feel about me is a joke?"

"No," Haley denied, finally meeting his gaze. "I just thought by then I'd have moved on. I'd have lived my life. I'd have a different perspective. Whatever I said in the past really wouldn't matter."

"Then why mention me at all?"

Haley sighed and fiddled with the ring on her pinky finger. "God, this is so awkward. You weren't supposed to find out. Not this version of you at least. You were supposed to be older and probably married and laughing about all the silly girls in high school who had crushes on you."

Nathan doubted that anything about Haley was "silly," especially how she felt about him. She didn't play games like the other girls in school. She had a genuineness that was very rare. "But why say it? Why put yourself in that category?"

Haley's stomach felt like it was in knots, almost making her forget about the pain in her leg. "I guess I did it because I was sick of holding my feelings in. Maybe I was feeling guilty for lying to Lucas. Maybe I was just trying to make sense of it for myself. Or maybe I just wanted to remind my future self of what it felt like. Unrequited or not, it can be a pretty amazing feeling sometimes. I'd mentioned that sometimes I feel like I'm really disconnected or like I was born at the wrong time. But when I see you…and feel the way that I do…I see what could be and suddenly I think that maybe I'm here in this time and this life for a reason."

"Why do you think you feel so disconnected?" Nathan questioned. "You've got friends. It seems like you and Lucas are really close. And then there's Brooke and Peyton. Those two have always been inseparable and yet they've let you into their inner circle."

"That's true," she acknowledged, nodding her head. "And I am grateful for having wonderful friends. But I've sort of felt invisible since I was a kid. Part of it, I think, is because I come from a big family."

"What do you mean by big?"

"I have five siblings."

Nathan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Seriously?" His family was probably as small as it could get. Despite Lucas, Nathan had grown up like an only child. And it's not like he'd had any cousins he could play with. It was just him, Tim, and his basketball most days.

"Yes. I'm the baby of the family and probably the most well-behaved. My parents had a lot to deal with with my brothers and sisters," Haley explained. "By the time it came to me, they'd seen and dealt with almost everything. They didn't make as big a deal about stuff. It's only been within the last couple of years that I've even had my parents to myself.

"I think I got so used to falling into the background at home that I'm like that with everything else. The only time I really felt special was when it was just Lucas and me. We had these little traditions that we did together. We'd go to the record store and listen to bad music or to the campus Lost and Found claiming dumb stuff. Lucas was the first person to truly see me and pay me any attention."

"But," Nathan prodded, sensing from her faraway and sorrowful look that something was no longer right between them.

"But we haven't really been doing any of that stuff lately. Not since Lucas joined the basketball team. Now he's at practice and games, hanging out with the team, or spending time with Brooke. I've kind of been feeling like we're growing apart."

"Basketball…it's intense and there's a lot of mental and social pressure that goes along with it. It can be hard to adjust to at first. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't care about you. I'm sure he does." Nathan couldn't believe that he was actually defending Lucas. But it really wasn't for Lucas's benefit. Nathan didn't like seeing Haley so sad.

"I know that. It's why I haven't really bothered him about this. He loves the game, and I'm trying to be supportive of that."

"It doesn't mean that your feelings don't matter, though. Eventually he has to make an effort, too." He added, "It might even be the perfect opportunity for you to get out there and start making some noise yourself."

Haley glanced at her injured leg. "I'm not sure if it even matters now. I probably won't get to do any of that." She shivered, not sure if it was from the loss of blood or prospect of not making it out of the school alive.

They were both quiet for a few minutes.

"You still haven't really told me why it is you love me," Nathan finally spoke up.

"Can you please stop saying that?" she pleaded.

He frowned. "Saying what?"

"That I love you."

"It's the truth, isn't it?" he pointed out.

"I know, but it just sounds…embarrassing."

"You don't have to be embarrassed."

Haley scoffed and shook her head. "It's way too late for that."

"So there isn't any reason at all? You simply have feelings for me just because." Nathan sensed that she was still hesitant. "I'd really like to know why, Haley. I know you probably think that it's no big deal to a guy like me, but the truth is that it is."

His eyes bored into hers, making her heart beat even faster. "Why?"

"Because I'd like to know what someone like you sees in a guy like me."

"Someone like me?" She was confused and not sure if she should be offended.

"Yeah. You're smart, kind, honest, and genuine. Pretty much everything I'm not. You're a good person, Haley," he emphasized. "I want to know why I'd even be considered worthy." All of his life Nathan had to deal with his father putting him down, his mother's indifference, and people's convoluted perceptions of him. It felt like nobody really saw the real him. He had a feeling that Haley was more insightful than most.

Whatever doubts Haley had had about opening up to him seemed to have melted away. The way Nathan was looking at her…she truly believed that he cared about her opinion. He wasn't just asking to boost his ego.

"Well, I've always admired your confidence. You always seem so sure of yourself. Someone can challenge you or you might not be completely sure about something, but you act as if it's no big deal," Haley stated. "I remember sophomore year; we were in the same English class. The teacher always seemed to call on you, trying to trip you up. Most of the time you never knew the right answers. But that didn't stop you from cracking a joke and trying to turn it back on him."

"It was Mr. Kanes," he remembered. "That guy was an ass."

"Yeah, he was," Haley agreed. "Then there's the way you play. I can tell how much you love basketball when you step out onto that court. Your smile lights up your face, and it's real. You're not trying to appease anyone. And it doesn't hurt that you look like a rockstar out there."

"I guess we can add my good looks to the list then, huh?" Nathan teased.

Her cheek's reddened. "You're not horrible to look at," she admitted. "But you know what really moved me?" Nathan shook his head, urging her to go on. "Freshman year you were at your locker. This was after you'd joined varsity. A couple of the upperclassmen varsity players were picking on Tim Smith. He'd only made junior varsity, and they were really laying into him. You'd stepped in and turned their attention to something else. Then the next day during gym I saw you teaching Tim how to improve his free shot. I saw you guys hanging out a lot after that, and the next year he was on varsity with you. If you truly were a bad person, you wouldn't have gone out of your way to help him. There was nothing for you to gain."

Nathan remembered that day with Tim. He'd felt bad for him. Tim hadn't been a bad player. He was just a little too raw to make varsity. The way the guys were picking on him reminded Nathan of the way Dan would tear him apart. Knowing how awful that feeling was, Nathan decided to help Tim train. He couldn't show up Dan, but Nathan could at least help Tim earn the respect of the guys. And he had. It's what best friends were supposed to do.

Haley watched Nathan intently. He was still taking in everything she'd said. Haley hoped that he believed her. Nathan may think that he's a bad person, but she'd seen glimpses of kindness in him. He had the potential to be a better guy. She just didn't think that anyone cared or was willing to give him a chance.

Nathan's expression remained pensive for a few more minutes. Then, all of a sudden, he laughed.

That caught Haley off guard, and her brow furrowed. "What's so funny?" That wasn't the reaction she'd been expecting at all.

"It's jump shot," Nathan chuckled.

"What are you talking about?"

"You said that I was helping Tim with his free shot. It's not a free shot. It's called a jump shot."

Haley rolled her eyes as he proceeded to crack up. "Whatever," she muttered. "Just because it's all Lucas ever talks about and I attend the games doesn't mean I know anything about it."

"Nice," he joked, nudging her. Eventually she got over her initial embarrassment and was laughing along with him.

"You were right, you know," Nathan said after they'd calmed down.

"Right about what?"

"About me. The things you said in the time capsule…you were dead on. It was kind of unnerving that you could see right through me. Most people can't."

"Look, I'm sorry—"

"No," he interrupted. "It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. I actually like that there is one person out there who understands me—especially since it's you."

The silliness that had been in the air before faded, replaced by something much more intense. Haley could feel her face becoming hot despite the chill in the rest of her body. Unconsciously, she found herself moving closer to him. Nathan was moving in, as well. It was like two magnets coming together, the pull too powerful to resist.

"Why couldn't I have noticed you sooner?" Nathan said, his voice low, husky.

"What about yesterday?" Haley questioned softly, tentatively. "Why did you help me?"

"There were a lot of books." He was having a hard time concentrating on anything but her lips. They'd been so close before. All he'd had to do was close the gap, and they'd be his.

"That's it?"

Nathan's head shook slightly. He could smell the floral scent of her shampoo. There wasn't much space between them. Their noses were almost touching. "No," he murmured. Her bottom lip was between her teeth, making him almost groan out loud. "I…"

"You," Haley prodded. His breath was on her face and her heart picked up speed. She tried to keep her breathing calm, not wanting to get herself all worked up again only to be disappointed.

"I helped you because I was attracted to you. And when our hands touched"—his mouth was a mere centimeter from hers—"I felt this spark. Kind of like right now."

"Is that the truth?" There was no mistaking the hope in her voice, laced with desire. "Because I really want to believe that it is."

Without a second thought, Nathan leaned in and kissed her. It only lasted for a few seconds before he pulled back.

"You shouldn't have done that, Nathan."

"I wanted to." He searched her face for any sign of outrage or regret.

Her eyes opened and locked onto his. "Yeah."

Before he could even apologize for having overstepped his bounds, she launched herself at him. Haley's arms wound around Nathan's neck as her mouth claimed his in a kiss even more passionate than the first. One hand went to her cheek as the other landed on her hip, keeping her close. Haley's lips were as soft as they looked. Nathan ran his tongue along her bottom lip, making her moan. She opened her mouth for him. It was his turn to groan as their tongues met and explored.

Haley felt lightheaded, if that was even possible. The feeling of their mouths brushing and their bodies touching had her senses on overload. She was actually kissing Nathan. It seemed too good to be true and even better than she'd imagined. Her body tingled, as if something deep inside her was waking up. Haley couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so alive—if ever.

The pair didn't break away until air became an issue. They were both breathing heavily, still reeling from the physical and emotional sensations that kiss had stirred.

"Wow," Nathan muttered. He'd never been so turned on by a mere kiss before.

"Yeah," Haley breathed. She could barely get another word out before Nathan kissed her again. It occurred to her that this might be the one and only time she'd get to be with him like this. Even if they did make it out of the school alive, everything would be different and this short amount of time they spent together would seem like a dream. A completely exciting yet horrifically scary and dangerous dream. And everything they'd said and did would suddenly be swept away and forgotten.

"Nathan, I need you to be honest with me." He'd started kissing his way down her neck. Haley was lucky she could form any words at all. Everything about him and what he was doing felt so good. He made a sound like he'd heard her but didn't stop in his ministrations. "There isn't really glass in my leg, is there?"

That caught his attention. He pulled back to look at her. "You can tell me," she reassured him. The pain was too great to be glass. She'd known that but had been too afraid to voice her fears earlier.

"It's a bullet," Nathan confirmed, his expression worried.

Haley nodded, as if accepting her fate.

"Haley, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Now I might have to get you out of here. You're just gonna have to trust me." He watched her carefully. "Do you trust me?"

Haley covered his hand on her face with her own. She didn't even have to think about it. "Yes."

* * *

><p>Lucas ran a hand through his hair as he paced back and forth. Everything and everyone was in complete chaos. After the first shot had rang out, Lucas's mind had gone blank. The only thing his body and mind knew to do was run. He got caught in the crowd and almost fell a few times as students pushed and shoved to get out of the school.<p>

Once outside, everyone was forced to get on a bus. There was another gym that used to be a part of the school until the new one had been built. It was old, and some people even said it was haunted. But it was away from the main building, so the teachers thought it'd be safe. It seemed fitting, in an ironic sort of way. Who wouldn't be haunted by this day for the rest of their lives?

It wasn't long until the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. The police cars had zoomed by the bus. It was at the old gym that everyone got off the bus and was herded inside. More police cars had arrived and surrounded the area. Once students were inside, officers went around taking names. No one was allowed to leave unless a parent or guardian came to pick them up. All that was left to do was wait.

In the meantime, students and faculty searched the crowd, trying to find their friends. Almost everyone had their cell phones out, making calls. Lucas had noticed quite a few people huddled together in groups, crying hysterically. He hadn't felt all that calm either. His eyes frantically scanned the room. Lucas had been relieved to find Brooke. They'd clutched each other so tightly, it was hard to breathe. Eventually Peyton and Jake turned up, as well. But no matter how much he searched and how many people he asked, the one person Lucas was concerned about most had not turned up.

Haley had been with him in the school when the gun went off. Then everything was a blurred panic. Lucas could've sworn that Haley had been running with him. He realized now that it was impossible. If Haley had gotten out, she'd have been in the gym. Lucas was sick at the thought of Haley still being inside the school. Who knows where she was, or what was happening? And the things he'd said to her before everything happened…he'd never forgive himself if she wasn't okay.

From what Lucas had heard, the cops and SWAT team hadn't done anything yet. The school was officially on lockdown with many students and faculty still inside. The authorities didn't know how many students had guns and didn't want to risk another shooting frenzy, endangering more lives. As far as Lucas knew, there was only one shooter. Aside from the incident itself, even more shocking was that that shooter was his old friend, Jimmy Edwards.

Lucas had seen his time capsule video. It had been dark, angry, and disturbing. Jimmy was so different from the kind, funny guy he used to be. The deep emotional pain just radiated off of the screen in his entry. Worried, Lucas had gone with his other friend, Mouth, to find Jimmy and talk to him. Mouth and Jimmy had been very close. Neither was athletic but dreamed about being sports announcers someday. It was sad how they'd grown apart from Jimmy within the last couple of years, but that didn't mean that they didn't still care about him.

Lucas and Mouth had gone to Jimmy's house, but he wouldn't answer the door. They tried calling, too, but he wouldn't pick up the phone. They were actually planning on confronting Jimmy today. Maybe they would have better luck talking to him in person. After what happened, though, Lucas wondered if it would've done any good. For Jimmy to do something like this, take a gun into school, he must've already been too far gone.

Maybe it was too late for Jimmy, but it sure as hell wasn't for Haley. Lucas would make sure Haley was safe if it was the last thing he did.

"Lucas," Brooke spoke. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You can't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was."

"I'm sure wherever Haley is, she's okay. She's a smart girl."

"How can she be okay, Brooke? If she isn't here in this gym, then that means she's still stuck in that school with Jimmy and God knows who else."

"The police are—"

"The police aren't doing shit!" he snapped. "They're just sitting back and waiting. It won't be until another shot is fired that they make a move. And what if the person they shoot is Haley, huh?" He rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. "I should've made sure she was behind me. I should've never—"

"Lucas, you didn't know. I was in the school, too. Everyone was going different ways. It was overwhelming and confusing. All I could think about was getting out."

"But she's my best friend, Brooke. Ever since we were eight years old, it's me who's been protecting her. Then the one day she needs me most and I just—" his voice hitched. Lucas took a deep breath and started again. "I told her she betrayed me. The last thing I said to her was that I didn't like the person she was becoming and that we weren't best friends anymore."

Brooke shook her head, ready to argue. "Lucas—"

"She didn't deserve that. And no matter how angry or hurt I was that she had feelings for Nathan, she doesn't deserve to be killed now for just trying to be honest with me. That's all Haley wanted to do. Just talk to me and work through it. But I turned her down." Lucas's stomach was in knots. "I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her."

Brooke was rubbing his arm and back, trying to comfort him. Lucas shook her off and avoided the worried looks of Peyton and Jake. They were standing off the side. "I need some fresh air." The gym suddenly seemed small and stifling.

Lucas pushed his way through the crowd. Reporters were scattered all over the room. He heard one woman telling her crew to target the more distraught students. The reporters were walking around, trying to get interviews. All they cared about was capitalizing on the tragedy and getting exclusives that would boost their ratings.

Disgusted, Lucas walked faster toward the double doors. He started to open it when he heard gruff voices on the other side. Through the small crack, he saw two police officers talking.

"What's going on? Is SWAT going to move in yet?"

"I just got an update. One kid managed to get a text to his dad. He said they're trapped in the library and that there's only one shooter."

"That makes it a little easier. Has the crisis negotiator arrived yet?"

"He'll be here soon, but I don't know how much good it will do. The kid isn't answering his cell phone and hasn't tried to make contact. He's been quiet for now. SWAT's afraid if they go in, it'll spook him and he'll go on a shooting spree."

"Damn it. You know this could've been prevented if the School Board had just voted to put in the damn metal detectors like we'd recommended."

"They didn't want the school to look unsafe," the other officer said wryly.

The short officer snorted. "Gee, wouldn't want that. Have any casualties been determined?"

"One kid just managed to get out. He said he saw blood in one of the hallways."

"Jesus."

Lucas's stomach dropped. They didn't know who was injured but for some reason he couldn't explain, Lucas just had this feeling that it was Haley. She'd been with him in the hallway when the gun went off. If Haley was okay, then why wouldn't she have followed everyone else and gotten herself out? Something wasn't right.

The officers stopped talking when another voice sounded over their walkie-talkies. The short officer mumbled something back, and then they were out the door. Lucas waited a minute and looked around. Nobody was paying any attention to him.

The cops might not know what to do in this situation, but Lucas did. He knew Jimmy. If they went in there, then he would get spooked and the situation would go from bad to worse. Lucas didn't want them taking that chance. Not when his best friend was still inside. It was his fault that Haley was left behind, and he'd be damned if he stood back and did nothing.

With one last glance around, Lucas opened the doors and slipped outside unnoticed. Somehow, someway, he was going back inside that school.

* * *

><p>Nathan tightened his hold on Haley. She'd finally admitted that she was cold and had snuggled into his side to keep warm. It had nothing to do with the temperature in the room and everything to do with the bullet in her leg. Despite what he'd done with his shirt, she was losing too much blood. They'd been trapped in there for hours now, and it didn't seem as if help was coming any time soon. What the hell was going on outside?<p>

"Hales," he said, making sure she was still with him. Her eyes were closed and she hadn't spoken for the last fifteen minutes. Not to mention that she was looking a little pale.

Her eyes opened and a weary smile graced her face. Only people close to her called her "Hales." It was nice to hear it coming from Nathan. "Yeah?"

"How are you holding up?"

"Aside from being shot, I could get used to this," she joked, her voice soft, as she got more comfortable in his embrace.

He managed a grin, despite his growing concern. "How are you feeling?"

"A little cold. And tired," she mumbled, her eyes closing again.

"Is the pain in your leg bad?"

"Yes. But that's nothing new." It looked like it was taking some effort for her to keep talking. "Even if we make it through this, we're always going to carry this with us, aren't we?"

"Haley, you're going to be okay." He stroked her face and felt something wet on his fingers. She was crying.

"It's never going to be the same." Her voice was barely above a whisper as more tears spilled from her eyes. "At least I'm not alone. Thank you for staying with me."

"Haley—" he tried to say. The way she was talking, it was like she was saying good-bye.

"If I say I love you right now, will you hold it against me because I've lost a lot of blood?"

His eyes stared into hers. "I'm going to get you out of here. I won't let anything happen to you," Nathan promised

Haley placed her arm on his shoulder and lifted herself up some more. She touched his lips with her own gently. It wasn't as heated as their kiss before, but it still managed to shake him to his core.

"In case you can't keep your promise," she said and placed her head back on his chest. Her eyes closed once again, and she was quiet. Too quiet.

"Haley," Nathan said. She didn't say anything. He shook her gently, but her eyes did not open. Fear gripped him as he placed his hand under her neck. He thanked God when he felt a pulse. She was still alive, but her body was getting weaker. She must've finally blacked out.

They couldn't stay there any longer. They'd waited as long as they could for help to come, but time was quickly running out. Nathan had to get Haley out of there now if she was ever going to have a fighting chance. He'd just found her, and there was no way he was going to lose her so soon.

Carefully he detached himself from Haley and let her lay on the floor. Afterward he walked over to the door and dragged away the desk and other items he'd placed in front of it. He tried to be as quiet as possible. Once it was clear, he opened the door and returned to Haley. Nathan lifted her easily into his arms. She looked so peaceful. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. Whatever happened next, he had to be ready. For her sake, and for his.

* * *

><p>Nathan's senses were on high alert as he walked down the hallway. He was careful not to trip over any books or backpacks. The school really was a mess, and he couldn't chance tripping with Haley in his arms. Just a little bit farther and they'd be out. He hadn't seen or heard anyone else in the hallway, for which he was thankful. They might just make it out.<p>

Using the hand holding her legs, Nathan opened one of the doubles doors. The next corridor would lead to one of the school's side exits. He walked through the doorway, his eyes focused ahead. At the last second, he remembered the door. He went to catch it but wasn't fast enough. It slammed back into place, the loud boom echoing throughout the empty corridor. Nathan cringed.

_Smart move, idiot_. _So much for trying to be quiet. _

Without wasting time, Nathan moved forward. He made his way down the hall and turned the corner. He could see the exit now. They were so close.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" someone shouted.

Nathan's whole body froze. He looked up and noticed the gun pointed towards them as Jimmy approached. He stopped just six feet from them, his face was contorted in anger.

"She's bleeding," Nathan answered.

"The school's on lockdown!"

"I know, Jimmy." He tried to keep his voice calm. The guy was already on edge. Nathan didn't want to push him any further. "But if I don't get her out of here, she's going to die."

Jimmy's eyes traveled to Haley. His hard expression softened. If Nathan didn't know any better, he'd almost say that Jimmy looked sad. "Haley…I didn't mean to hurt her."

"We know that, Jimmy," came another voice.

Nathan's head whipped to the side and his jaw dropped in shock. It was Lucas. How the hell did he get inside?

"What the hell is this?" Jimmy bellowed in frustration, waving the gun. "The school is on lockdown!"

"Please, Jimmy. Please just—just let them go," Lucas pleaded, "and you and I can talk about this." Lucas stared at Haley, pain flashing in his eyes, and then at Nathan, his expression stunned. Then he turned back to Jimmy. "She's hurt, Jimmy."

"I didn't mean it," Jimmy choked out.

"I know." Lucas walked further inside and placed himself in front of Nathan and Haley.

Nathan opened his mouth to protest but stopped himself. Jimmy was quickly coming undone before them. Anything could set him off. But Lucas had been Jimmy's friend. Nathan had to assume that he knew what he was doing. And if it meant he could get Haley out, then he'd go along with it.

Lucas glanced back. "Go ahead, Nathan."

Jimmy was breathing hard and clutching the gun. Nathan hesitated.

"Nathan," Lucas repeated, "Go."

Nathan took a tentative step forward while looking at Jimmy. The gun was shaking in his hand, and he was clutching his head. He looked torn and unstable but didn't tell him to stop. Taking it as a sign, Nathan kept walking to the exit, with Lucas blocking him every step of the way like a human shield.

Nathan halted, however, when he was in front of the last corridor that would lead to the door. "Lucas," he said, his voice tight. Sure, they'd had their differences over the years, but he couldn't just leave him. Lucas was Haley's best friend. She'd be devastated if something happened to him.

"Nathan, tell Haley I love her." He spared one last look at them. "Now go."

Nathan met Lucas's gaze. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough for them to reach an understanding. Lucas was trading his life for theirs, and nothing was going to change his mind. All that mattered was getting Haley out.

Nathan nodded, spared one more cautious look at Jimmy, and turned the corner. He hurried down the hallway, moving as fast as he could without jostling Haley too much. Finally he reached the door and pushed it open. The bright light of the sun blinded him as people shouted all around him. It was hard to hear with the helicopters circling again.

But one hard, rough voice stood out. "Walk very slowly."

Nathan did as instructed and slowed his pace, keeping a firm grip on Haley. The SWAT team had their guns pointed at them and was moving in. It was ironic that they'd escaped Jimmy but were still in danger of being shot if they made a wrong move.

One of the SWAT guys came forward and held out his arms. Nathan didn't want to hand Haley over to some stranger. He wanted to take her to the paramedics himself. But since he wasn't exactly full of options, he let the guy take hold of her.

"Now put your hands up and get down on the ground!" the voice ordered.

Nathan did as they told him. When he was fully kneeling, another SWAT guy came up to him. He grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back and pushed him all the way on the ground. Another man joined him and started to pat Nathan down, asking him questions.

It was hard for Nathan to focus. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the doors. Lucas was still inside. They should be helping him instead of wasting their time searching Nathan. If he'd wanted to hurt anyone, he sure as hell wouldn't have been carrying an injured girl out with him.

Nathan was about to tell them that when the sound of a gunshot pierced the air. The hands searching him halted, and his body went rigid in fear. What had happened? Was Lucas shot? Had he managed to get the gun for himself and shoot Jimmy? Had Jimmy killed himself instead? Was it a misfire?

So many different scenarios were running through Nathan's mind. Above anything else, he hoped that Lucas was okay. There was still a slight chance that he was alive. The way Haley had talked, Lucas and Jimmy were once close. If Jimmy was worried about Haley, wouldn't he feel the same remorse about hurting Lucas?

For a second Nathan actually thought that it could be true. Maybe everything would turn out all right. Lucas would be okay. He had to be.

That was until a second shot was fired. After that, Nathan wasn't certain of anything anymore.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all again for the amazing reviews! Your comments make my day. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this story. Sadly, there is actually only one chapter left after this. I know you're all dying to find out what happened and where these characters are headed. Some of your questions will be answered, but the rest will be revealed in the last chapter. So please read and tell me what you think. Thanks!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

_Haley was dreaming. She had to be as different images popped into her head. She was arguing with Lucas before class. Jimmy was holding a gun at a group of boys. People were running and screaming. She was in pain. There was blood, and Haley couldn't stand. She had to crawl to save herself. But there was no saving herself. She was trapped in the school._

_Haley heard a sound in the hallway. She thought for sure it was Jimmy or another shooter coming to get her. But it wasn't Jimmy. It was Nathan. He was staying with her. They were talking. Then they were kissing. Was that for real?_

_Haley felt tired. Too tired to keep her eyes open any longer. She vaguely remembered someone holding her. But the darkness claimed her. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. People were touching her and shouting technical terms she didn't understand. Then everything went black again and the next thing she knew, she was waking up in the hospital. Her parents were standing over her with tears in their eyes. Why were they crying?_

_The scene shifted and Haley was back inside the school. Lucas was with her. He was looking at someone. Haley followed his gaze and saw Jimmy. He was pointing the gun at Lucas this time. She tried to open her mouth to stop him, but it was too late. Jimmy had pulled the trigger, and Lucas crumpled to the ground. A pool of blood surrounded him, growing larger by the second. Tears filled her eyes. Haley wanted to run toward him but felt someone holding her back._

_She looked up and saw Nathan. He was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't understand him. His voice was muffled. Then, suddenly, he looked behind her. Haley turned around. Jimmy was still in the hallway. The gun was still pointing toward them. Haley tugged on Nathan's shirt, trying to get him to move. Lucas was already dead. She couldn't lose Nathan, too._

_Another shot rang out and echoed in the hallway. Nathan's eyes looked into Haley's one last time as his hold on her loosened and he, too, was on the floor, surrounded by blood. Haley felt her stomach clench in knots. She was crying so hard she could barely see or breathe. She fell to the floor by Nathan and called his name. His eyes were open but vacant. It was as if the life had been drained out of them. It probably had, since he wasn't moving or breathing._

_Haley took his face in her hands and shivered at the feeling of his cold skin. He couldn't be gone. They'd gotten out of the school. They'd survived. Hadn't they? A sense of dread washed over her. She had to find someone who could help her and explain things._

_Haley was just about to stand up when a shadow loomed over her. She looked up and found herself staring into the barrel of a gun. Jimmy's hand was steady as he glanced down at her with a pitying expression._

_"I'm really sorry, Haley," he said. "I have to do this."_

_She shook her head, pleading with him. "No, Jim. Please, no."_

_"Don't worry. It'll be better this way."_

_"Jim—" she'd barely gotten out before he pulled the trigger._

_The world went black, and the shot rang in her ears._

Haley's eyes snapped open a second later as she sat up in bed, breathing heavily. Her body was covered in sweat, shaking. Pain spread through her leg. Haley stared down at it and saw where the doctor had dressed her wound. She must've moved her leg while she was asleep. Checking the time, Haley noticed that she'd slept through the morning to the afternoon. She was due for more pain medication, since her body was still sore as it tried to heal.

Haley wasn't sure how much it had healed. It had been only five days since the shooting. Even if her wound looked better, the same couldn't be said for the rest of her.

A knock sounded on her bedroom door. "Haley, honey," her mom said. "It's time for your medicine."

"I figured."

"Does your leg hurt?"

"Yeah."

Lydia handed her two pills. The second one was an antibiotic. The doctor said they needed to prevent an infection at all costs.

"Are you okay, Haley Bop?" Lydia questioned, scrutinizing her. "You're soaked."

"I was sleeping, Mom."

"Did you have another nightmare?"

Her mom knew all about her dreams. She'd barely left Haley's side at the hospital and when she'd come home. Lydia had slept beside her the first few nights and said that Haley had tossed and turned the whole time. Sometimes Haley would wake up already crying, unable to decipher between her nightmares and reality.

Slowly but surely Haley was getting used to them. At least now she knew that she was dreaming. But that didn't make the things Haley saw any less painful.

"Sort of."

Lydia stroked her daughter's hair. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Haley shook her head. Now that she was awake, she just wanted to forget about it.

"Okay. But I'm here if you need me. You know that, right?"

"I know, Mom." Haley gave her a small smile and found herself being pulled into a hug.

Lydia held onto her tightly. "I'm so glad that you're all right. I never want to come that close to losing you again."

"I'm not going anywhere, Mom. I'm right here," she replied, taking solace in her mother's embrace. Whenever Haley was sick or upset as a child, all it took was a hug from her mother to make her feel better. She was glad that not much had changed over the years.

"Special delivery," a male voice interrupted.

The pair broke apart to see Haley's father standing in the doorway. He was holding a bouquet of little purple flowers.

"Who are they from this time?" Haley had received tons of gifts and get-well cards from family and friends. Her room was filled with flowers and balloons. It helped to know that so many people cared about her. It gave her something positive to focus on whenever her thoughts turned dark.

"I don't know. I just found them on the front porch."

"They're beautiful," she commented. They were so different from the rest of the flowers. She'd gotten a lot of colored roses and daises. Most of which were pink, orange, and yellow. But Haley's favorite color was purple so to her, this particular arrangement was perfect. "Can you put them on my nightstand?"

"Sure."

"Did you want us to stay with you?" Lydia asked.

"I could get the Uno cards. We haven't played in a while, and I still need to get my payback for you taking away my winning streak," Jimmy joked.

"Thanks but maybe later. I've got some homework to do." Peyton had been kind enough to go to all of Haley's teachers and get her homework assignments.

"Haley, the whole point of you staying home from school is so you can rest. Your teachers all said you could have an extension," Lydia reminded her.

"I know, but I want to get it done," she said with a shrug. "Besides, you know I like school anyway."

Jimmy chuckled and shook his head. "I don't know who you took after. The rest of your siblings avoided homework like the plague."

"What can I say? I'm one of a kind," Haley kidded back.

Jimmy was silent for a moment as he watched her. "Yes, you are." Her dad had been doing that a lot lately. Her mom, too. It seemed as if they were trying to convince themselves that she really was okay.

"Well, we'll let you get to it." Lydia patted her shoulder and stood up. "Oh, and Brooke called. She's going to come over after school with Peyton. She mentioned something about manicures and facials."

Haley laughed softly. "That sounds like Brooke." She and Peyton had been coming over every day to see her. Haley looked forward to their time together. It was a nice distraction—at least for a little while. It helped take her mind off of the people who she wanted to visit her but never did.

"Call us if you need anything else," her dad said.

"I will." Haley put her hair up in a bun and sighed. She'd start with her calculus homework first. The more complicated the assignment, the more she would have to concentrate—and the less time she would have for thinking about all of the things that were simply out of her control.

* * *

><p>Nathan tried his best to focus on what Tim and his teammates were saying, but it was proving difficult. The shooting had been less than a week ago. Sure, people had been devastated by it. The principal had extra grief counselors on call with many students going to see them. His name had been at the top of their list, but Nathan refused to meet with anyone. He just wanted to be left alone.<p>

Most people understood that. Or they tried to. When Nathan returned to school Monday morning, the majority of people kept their distance—as if sensing he didn't want to be bothered. Which he didn't. But that didn't stop the whispers and lingering stares he received. They all knew what happened. What he did. It had been all over the news.

Although the majority of his peers respected him and the situation enough to leave him be, that didn't mean that he was totally in the clear. Of course some of the members of the popular and elite wanted all of the details. It was like they thought they were entitled to them. Nathan, however, refused to tell them anything. He'd be damned if he let what had happened be reduced to nothing more than idle gossip between classes. It didn't stop those same people from speculating, though. Like right now for example.

Nathan was having a hard time blocking out Rachel's conversation with her friends at the end of the table. Sue Garver was sitting with them today. Everyone knew she was just sucking up to Rachel in hopes of becoming one of the in-crowd. Her desperate attempt to fit in often involved her trash talking anyone who was an easy target just to impress Rachel and her followers.

Usually Nathan ignored them. They were a bunch of stupid, simpering girls with nothing better to do. But today was different. Today they were talking about someone he cared about—and not too kindly.

"I heard that she's got this really gross scar."

"Well, I heard that the bullet didn't hit her leg. That's just the story she's telling everyone. It was only a ricochet."

"Figures," Rachel scoffed as she looked at herself in her compact mirror. "She's probably trying to milk this for all it's worth. Can't say I blame her, though. It's what I'd do."

"Who would care about her? She's a nobody," Sue added, also primping. "She probably hasn't come to school, because she knows that once she does people will find out the truth."

"And what is the truth exactly?" Nathan found himself asking, no longer able to remain quiet. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Because last time I checked, neither one of you were in this school that day."

Rachel smiled pleasantly. "No, we weren't. But you were. If we're wrong about something, why don't you tell us what really happened and clear it all up."

"Rachel, just shut up," Tim interjected. "It's none of your business." Nathan had never been more surprised or grateful to his best friend. It was very rare that Tim was the one defending him. If anything, it was usually the other way around.

"I wasn't talking to you, Dim," Rachel retorted and looked back at Nathan. "Come on, Nate, we're all dying to get the inside story."

"There is no inside story," he lied. Everyone at their table and the ones nearby had caught on to their conversation and had stopped talking to listen in.

"Are you sure she was shot?" Sue asked. "It could've been a ploy she used to get you to like her."

"Yes, she was shot," Nathan snapped, barely suppressing his anger. "I'm the one who found the trail of blood in the hallway. I'm the one who had to wrap the wound so she wouldn't completely bleed out before it was too late. I've even got the shirt with her blood all over it at home to prove it. What kind of stupid question is that?"

"Did she cry? I bet she did," Rachel said, smirking. Sue giggled next to her.

Nathan looked at Rachel. Really looked at her. It was like he was seeing the real her for the first time and was truly disgusted by what he saw.

"What the hell is wrong with the two of you? Haley almost died in that school. Someone did die. Lucas…" Nathan trailed off. "How can you be so insensitive? Have you learned nothing from any of this?"

Nathan noticed Rachel's smile falter. It was only for a second, but he still saw it. Others were staring at her, too. They seemed to be just as disturbed by her cavalier and mean-spirited attitude.

"Haley's a good person. She doesn't deserve you bad-mouthing her. She's been through enough."

Nathan saw a brief flash of annoyance. Then Rachel eyed him carefully for a moment. "Oh my God," she said, with a look of sudden comprehension on her face. "You actually fell for her, didn't you?"

The weight of everyone's gazes shifted to Nathan, once again. He barely flinched and instead just said: "The two of you should be ashamed."

Not having much of an appetite anymore, Nathan grabbed his backpack and got up to leave. It was the first time since the shooting that he understood why Jimmy had felt like this school was unbearable. Because for the first time in almost four years, to Nathan, it actually was.

* * *

><p>Circling her answer to the final question, Haley added up the points. She'd finished most of her homework an hour ago and, bored, had decided to read <em>Seventeen<em>. Eventually Haley ended up taking a few of the quizzes inside. Apparently her "pout personality" was sparkly lip gloss. She didn't know how she got that one. It definitely wasn't her style.

Now she was taking a quiz on how she would meet her soulmate. Not that she really wanted to be thinking about her love life—or lack thereof. If she did, her mind would flash back to Whitey's office and her time with Nathan, which she really couldn't deal with. She always found herself feeling more confused and depressed than she already was. But she cast that aside and took the quiz anyway, hoping for some kind of clarity.

After calculating the total, Haley learned that she'd meet Mr. Right by letting her friends set her up on a date. Haley laughed out loud at that one and threw the magazine off to the side. She would never in a million years let Brooke set her up on a date. Knowing Brooke, Haley would probably get stuck with some guy who was super hot but had the emotional maturity of a five-year-old. Before she'd started seeing Lucas, Brooke hadn't exactly had the best taste in guys.

At the thought of Lucas, Haley felt like an enormous weight had been placed on her chest, making it hard to breathe. She couldn't think about him right now either. Instead she picked up another magazine. There was a quiz about whether she was more attracted to vampires or werewolves. That one seemed harmless enough.

"Sweet. Edward Cullen," Haley said in approval at her final answer. "Now we're talking."

"Are you talking to Edward or yourself? Because both options are just unhealthy."

Haley froze for a moment when she heard that voice. She placed the magazine down and finally looked up.

"But then again, I've always thought werewolves were cooler."

"Lucas," Haley said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What are you…?" She hadn't expected him.

He held up a bouquet of flowers that were a mix of yellow, white, and purple. "I wanted to stop by and give you these." He shifted a little uncomfortably. "Is that okay?"

Haley nodded, not trusting her voice.

Lucas stepped forward and saw that there was already a bouquet on her nightstand. "It looks like the spot I wanted is already taken. These are nice." He observed them more closely. "Who gave them to you?"

"Um, I don't know. There wasn't a card."

He found a spot on her bureau and placed his there. Afterward he turned back around to face her. "How's the leg?"

"It's getting better."

"Good." Lucas took a step toward her bed before veering off to grab the chair by her desk.

Haley fiddled with her hands in her lap. "Brooke and Peyton should be here in a little bit. They always come and visit me after school."

"I talked to them earlier. They're not coming. At least not today," he amended.

Her head shot up at that. "Why not?"

"Because I told them that I wanted to see you. I was trying to wait until the right time, but then I realized that there really is no right time." Lucas seemed to take a deep breath before he spoke again. "I'm so sorry, Haley, for what happened to you."

"It wasn't your fault, Lucas," she mumbled. Haley had anticipated this conversation but wasn't sure if she was ready for it. Even if she had more time, she still would probably be a bundle of nerves. Although it did feel good to see Lucas and know for herself that he was all right. Her parents had filled her in on all of the details that she'd missed while unconscious but it did little to curb her anxiety.

"Yes, it was," Lucas argued. "I completely overreacted about the whole Nathan thing. The things I said to you…they were cruel."

"You were hurt, Luke. I understood that."

"But you're my best friend, Haley. I was the one who should've been understanding. You can't help who you like sometimes. And just because you like Nathan, that doesn't mean that you care about me any less."

"Only I don't like Nathan, Lucas. I said that I loved him. There's a difference, which was why you were so upset."

"Haley, look, I'm trying to apologize."

"Why, Luke?" Haley questioned, shaking her head. "What's the point? I can tell right now that you're still upset." She'd done the one thing that would hurt Lucas the most. There was no way that Lucas was okay with that. He couldn't be.

"Haley, will you please let me finish?"

"Now that it's out there, it's never going to be the same between us. So maybe we should just—"

"Haley," Lucas interrupted forcefully, his voice growing in volume. "I'm not upset about your feelings for Nathan. Okay? I'm upset that I could've lost you. And if you had died, it would've been at the hands of one of my friends after I said all of those horrible things to you. It's my fault that you were shot. I walked away from you when you tried to talk to me and led you into that hallway."

"Lucas—" she tried to interject.

"Then when the gun went off, I just ran. I never once looked back to see if you were with me. It wasn't until I was in the old gym that I realized you were missing. I looked for you for hours. I kept hoping that I'd see you, but deep down I knew you were still in that school. And when I found out someone had been hurt, I knew then that it was you, too. I could just feel it. And what really eats away at me is that of all the people to save you, it was Nathan. I've always hated the guy but when I saw him carrying you, trying to get you out, I'd never been so happy to see him in my life. Because at least you weren't alone. At least someone was there saving you from the mess that I'd made."

Tears were sliding down Lucas's face, and Haley felt her own eyes watering. She reached out to him and pulled him into an embrace.

"I don't blame you, Luke. I don't," Haley told him. "And I don't blame Jimmy either. I know that he was sick and just really lost. You did everything you could. I heard about how you snuck back into the school. And I swear that if you'd gotten killed, I would've brought you back to yell at you for doing something so stupid and reckless."

Haley meant every word. She didn't want Lucas to feel guilty and to keep blaming himself. She'd nearly had a heart attack when her parents told her what he'd done. If something had happened to Lucas, Haley would've been devastated and an even bigger emotional wreck than she already was. He wasn't just her best friend; he was family. Haley would never stop caring for him.

Lucas chuckled against her. "Well, I wasn't going to let you hog all the glory," he joked.

Haley swatted his arm and smiled while wiping the moisture from her cheeks. "You're an idiot, Lucas Scott."

"I know."

"But you're my best friend, and nothing is going to change that." Her eyes met his. "Thank you."

"I'm kind of surprised." When he saw that she was confused, Lucas elaborated, "I stopped by the hospital that night to see you, but you were still unconscious."

"I know. My parents told me."

"I thought you might be mad at me when I didn't hear from you this week. And when I first walked in here, you didn't look all that happy to see me."

"It wasn't that I didn't want to see you. I was just trying to give you space. I figured with our fight and losing Jimmy, you needed some time to sort things out. I wasn't sure if you'd still want to be friends after how angry you were."

"I know I was pissed, but I would've gotten over it eventually. You're stuck with me, Haley James."

"If only that made me feel better," Haley quipped and laughed as he nudged her playfully.

"I guess I deserved that," he admitted. "But what I really want to make sure is that you're okay. I know you said your leg is healing, but we both know that the wound runs deeper than that."

"I'm…" Haley tried to find the right words to describe it. "I'm struggling, honestly. I keep having these nightmares about Jimmy and you getting shot. And then there's Nathan…"

"What about Nathan?"

Haley opened her mouth to answer but then quickly shut it.

"Hales, you can tell me," he reassured her. "What happened between you and Nathan in that school?"

She searched her best friend's eyes looking for any sign that he was uncomfortable or just trying to be polite about the current topic. Nathan had always been a sensitive subject. But as she stared at Lucas now, Haley could see that he was genuinely curious.

"What is there to say? Nathan found me, carried me into Whitey's office, helped stifle the bleeding for my leg, and then later got me out."

"And that's it?" He knew she wasn't telling him everything.

"No. We…we talked."

"About what?"

"A lot of things. School, our families, life…Nathan is—he's an even more amazing guy than I thought." Haley didn't dare mention the kiss. She couldn't. It was just too personal and intimate. That moment she wanted to keep for herself.

Lucas nodded. "Have you talked to him since that day?"

"No."

"Did he send you anything or—"

Haley was already shaking her head. "No. Nothing. I guess it's just as well. If he had then I would've thought that maybe whatever it is we had in that room might've turned into something more. It's better if I don't get my hopes up," she explained. "We were just two people stuck in a dangerous situation. The mind plays tricks on you when you think you're going to die. For a little while it almost seemed like we were on the same planet."

"You're the strongest, most compassionate person I know, Hales. And if Nathan can't see that, then he doesn't deserve you."

Haley wiped at her eyes, trying to prevent the fresh set of tears threatening to be released. She managed to give her best friend a smile, despite knowing how weak it must look. "It's okay, Luke," she reassured him, and herself. "It just wasn't meant to be."


	7. Chapter 7

**Once again, thank you all for the wonderful reviews! The enthusiasm and support for this story have been amazing. I was asked if there would be a sequel. Unfortunately, this is it. I kind of feel like part of its charm is that not everything is wrapped up perfectly. You will get some answers and closure in this chapter, but there is still a lot left up to the imagination. I wanted this fic to be short and sweet. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this last chapter and will leave a review. Thanks again!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

It was so dark that Nathan could barely see the sidewalk in front of him. He really shouldn't be out. It was the middle of the night, and he had school tomorrow. Not that it would've mattered even if he was at home in his bed. Either way he couldn't sleep. He kept having all sorts of weird and disturbing dreams. Every night for the last week he'd wake up gasping for breath, his body slick with sweat.

Even awake he'd see the distorted images. Empty hallways, blood, the barrel of a gun, Haley unconscious…His body tensed. Nathan tried to push it all out of his mind, but it was getting harder to do. Tonight was particularly difficult. When sleep continued to elude him, Nathan decided to get out of the house. Not wanting to chance waking his parents, he'd managed to sneak out of his bedroom window and climb down the trellis.

Before leaving the yard, he'd grabbed his basketball. There was only one thing that always made him feel better. That allowed him a temporary escape no matter how bad things got. Nathan hoped he was going the right way. He wasn't all that familiar with the place he was going. He'd only been there once. Mostly he just passed it on his way to the gym. The only real time he'd spent there had been when he'd trashed it last year to get a rise out of Lucas. Nathan never actually took the time to really stop and check it out. Now he couldn't get there fast enough.

A few minutes later Nathan saw faint lights in the distance. He quickened his pace and let out a sigh of relief when the basketball hoop came into view. Already he felt the tension in his body melting away. He reached the River Court and released the ball from his hands. The sound of it hitting the pavement echoed in the night. It was the best sound Nathan had heard in a week.

Nathan continued to bounce the ball. It passed between his hands as naturally as breathing. He lifted his arms and released the ball. It sailed through the air before going in the basket. The swish of the net brought a small smile to his face.

He repeated the action over and over. Dribble, pass, shoot. Dribble, pass, shoot. Nathan was so focused on what he was doing that the world around him faded. He didn't notice the darkness surrounding the edge of the court, the cold breeze in the night, or even the figure standing in the shadows, watching him. For once Nathan's mind was quiet.

It wasn't until the ball bounced off the rim of the basket and rolled off of the court that he realized he wasn't alone. Nathan stood still, squinting into the darkness. "Who's there?"

The stranger bent down to pick up the ball and finally stepped into the light. Nathan's eyes widened. He was surprised, but probably shouldn't have been. There was a reason why he never came to the River Court, and it was standing right in front of him.

"It looks like we had the same idea." Lucas rolled the ball between his hands. "Couldn't sleep or just trying to get some extra practice in?

"Does it matter?" Nathan held his hands out for the ball.

Lucas kept it. "Well, I couldn't sleep."

"Look, I'll go. Just give me the ball."

"No."

Nathan rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. Keep it. Whatever." He was not in the mood for this right now.

"I didn't mean I'm keeping the ball. I meant don't go."

Nathan's steps faltered, and he stared at Lucas curiously. "Why?"

"We need to talk."

"About what?" he replied, playing dumb.

"I think you know," Lucas answered, holding his gaze.

Nathan folded his arms. This night was just getting weirder by the minute. He knew that this was inevitable. He might was well get it over with now. "All right, look, I know you must hate me. But I didn't know that it was Haley who was injured. I just saw the blood and went to investigate. She was in too much pain and too scared for me to leave her alone and get help right away, so we had to wait it out and—"

"Nathan," Lucas interrupted.

"I did everything I could to help her. I swear. Eventually she just lost too much blood, and I had to get her out of there. I know it was dangerous, and I honestly don't know what would've happened if you hadn't come and saved our asses but—"

"Nathan," Lucas repeated. "Shut up." He shook his head and chuckled softly. "You really did spend a lot of time with Haley in that school. I can see you picked up her habit of rambling."

Nathan folded his arms, not knowing whether to be amused or annoyed. As usual when it came to Lucas, he went with annoyed. "It's late. What did you want to say to me?"

This time it was Lucas who rolled his eyes. "Can you at least try to not be an ass for two seconds?"

"I will as soon as you get to the point." Nathan had come to the River Court to be alone and get away from everything. Lucas's presence didn't do much to calm his nerves.

"You know, if I wasn't so grateful that you saved my best friend's life, I'd probably tell you to go screw yourself right now."

Nathan stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"What? Telling you to go screw yourself is not the worst thing I've said to you."

"No, not that," he said, shaking his head. "What you said before that. About saving Haley's life."

"Before you started giving me your usual attitude, I was actually going to thank you." At Nathan's shocked look, Lucas added, "If it wasn't for you, Haley would've been alone in that school. She might've even died if you hadn't gotten her out in time. I know we have our differences but I just wanted you to know that all that other stuff aside, I really appreciate what you did for her. You were there for her when I couldn't be."

"I wouldn't let anything happen to her. I couldn't. There wasn't even a choice."

"Well, all the same, thanks," Lucas said, his voice sincere.

"I didn't do it completely on my own. I don't know what would've happened in that hallway if you hadn't shown up," Nathan stated. He looked at the ground as he said his next words. "And believe it or not, when I heard that second gunshot, I thought that might've been it for you. I was…I was worried."

"Not."

Nathan glanced up and noticed Lucas grinning. A small smile formed on his own face. "Anyway, I wanted to say thank you, too."

"When it comes to Haley, I don't have a choice either."

"How is—" Nathan paused for a moment, unsure if he should continue. In the end his curiosity and concern were too much to ignore. "How is Haley?"

"She's home now."

"I heard that. But she's okay?"

"Why don't you go over to her house and see for yourself?" Lucas suggested, not unkindly.

Nathan glanced at the basketball hoop. "I can't do that right now."

"Why not? After everything you guys went through, I thought you'd want to see her." When Nathan remained quiet, Lucas said, "I know she wants to see you."

Nathan's head whipped around at that. "She does? She said that?"

"Not directly, but that was the impression I got. Everyone's been visiting and calling her. Not to mention all of the get-well gifts she's been sent. The only one who hasn't contacted her in some way is you."

"Look, I might not have called her but I did send her something," he revealed.

"Haley didn't say anything."

"That's because I didn't leave a note. She wouldn't know it was from me."

Lucas took a seat on the picnic table, and Nathan followed suit. "Because that makes sense. What's going on?"

"I haven't been doing so well myself this past week. I've been having nightmares…about Haley," he said so quietly, Lucas had to strain to hear him. "I keep seeing her bleeding or unconscious or the moment she was shot. Every time I wake up in a panic, and it takes a moment for me to realize that it isn't real. That she's still alive."

"That still doesn't explain why you won't go and see her."

"I guess part of it is that I feel really overwhelmed by it all. I figured we could both use some time and space to adjust."

"And the other part?" Lucas prompted.

"The other part of me is avoiding her, because I'm wondering if the time we spent together is still real. And if it turns out that it wasn't, then that'll be worse than a bullet for me." Nathan couldn't believe he'd just said that—and to Lucas of all people. Oddly enough, he felt better after voicing his concerns. He'd been keeping it all in so long that it was eating him up inside. The burden he'd been carrying wasn't completely gone, but it was definitely lighter now.

Lucas stared at Nathan for a long time, his expression unreadable. Finally he said, "You really like her, don't you?"

Nathan met Lucas's gaze. "I more than like her."

"And it's not just because of her time capsule video?"

"I'll admit that I was intrigued by the video. But I noticed Haley before I saw it. I'm sure you remember that day you yelled at me."

"It's hard to keep track of all of them, but I remember that one," Lucas quipped.

"I know you're thinking that I might only like her because she said she's in love with me. But the truth is that everything she said about me in her video was true," Nathan explained. "And when we were stuck in that school and had time to really talk, I realized that there was even more to her than I thought and how stupid I was for not noticing her sooner."

"Even if you had noticed her," Lucas spoke up, "I probably wouldn't have made it easy on either of you. But now…"

"Now what?" Nathan prodded, his nerves suddenly on edge. He didn't know why he was so anxious. Lucas wasn't the boss of him. He didn't need his permission to pursue Haley.

But at the same time, Lucas was Haley's best friend. His opinion mattered to her. If Lucas was really against Haley seeing Nathan, would that be enough to finally drive her away from him? It was the main reason why Haley had kept her feelings to herself all these years.

"If I can trust you with her life, then I think I can trust you with her heart," Lucas declared.

"You can," Nathan reassured him.

"Okay. But just so we're clear, if you do end up hurting her, I'm going to kick your ass." Lucas did his best to give Nathan a menacing look.

He smirked. "Like you could. But I can respect that." He added after a moment, "I'm sorry about Jimmy. Haley told me he was your friend."

"He was. That's why I knew Jimmy wouldn't shoot me."

"Then why were there two gunshots?" There was some speculation about what had happened in the school, but Nathan hadn't heard the real story. It seemed as if Lucas wasn't talking about it to anyone either.

Lucas's eyes glazed, as if he was seeing something beyond the court. "Jimmy had pointed the gun at himself. I was trying to reason with him. Then this other kid seemed to come out of nowhere. I guess he was trying to be a hero, but it just made things worse. The gun went off when he tackled Jimmy. I went to get the kid off of him and calm the situation down, but it was too late. When Jimmy got his hands on the gun again, he pulled the trigger and that was it. He was gone."

"It sucks that you had to see that."

"Yeah."

The pair sat in silence, both wrapped up in their own thoughts and memories of that tragic day. It seemed like so much had been lost because of the shooting. So many lives had been altered.

Nathan glanced over at Lucas and then back at the River Court, his mind reeling. Taking a closer look, maybe in some strange way nothing was truly lost. Maybe everything that was important in life, that had previously been overlooked, had finally been found.

* * *

><p>It felt good to be back in the Tutoring Center. It was a medium-sized room with scattered tables and chairs. Large filing cabinets and bookcases were lined up against the walls. There were even a few computer stations. To most students, this was just a place to get help on an assignment. To Haley, it was like a second home.<p>

It was Haley's first day back at school. She'd finally convinced her parents that she was rested enough after a week of lying in bed. She was starting to go stir crazy. As long as she kept off of her leg and used her crutches, she would be fine. There was too much time to think when she was at home. At least at school she could keep busy.

Although she'd managed to get away from her parents, there was no getting around Lucas. They'd had a long talk about their friendship, and things between them were finally back to normal. Well, almost back to normal. He'd picked her up for school this morning and had been fussing over her ever since. They'd gotten in kind of early. Most of the students hadn't arrived yet. Haley had wanted to avoid the crowd, and Lucas had agreed. He thought it was because of her leg. Truthfully, she just needed some time to herself.

Haley had thought that the moment they pulled up in front of the school would be the hardest. When they went inside, a shiver had run up her spine. The building was so quiet—just like it had been that awful day. Her instincts were to keep her guard up. Haley's eyes would search the halls, her body tense. It wasn't until Lucas had put his arm around her that she relaxed a little bit.

Haley checked her watch. She had at least fifteen more minutes before the rest of the students started showing up. Her stomach was in knots just thinking about facing them. Haley was sure that the whole school had been talking about what had happened to her. Her friends wouldn't tell her anything. They were trying to protect her, and in some way Haley could appreciate that.

Unzipping her backpack, Haley made sure that she'd brought all of her homework with her. She was still Tutor Girl—despite everything that had happened to her. Haley had just put the last of her books back when she heard the sound of the door opening. Her head snapped up and her body went rigid. It was hard to breathe for a second as she stared at the handsome boy before her.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." Nathan walked a little farther into the room. He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep them from fidgeting. He'd been up all night thinking about what he was going to say to Haley. Too bad it had all flown out of his head the second he'd seen her.

Haley's heart was beating a mile a minute. She had so much to say, but all that seemed to come out of her mouth was, "What are you doing in here?"

"Lucas told me you were in here."

"You talked to Lucas?" Her eyes were wide.

"Do you mind if I…?" He took a few steps forward and placed his hand on the chair next to hers.

Haley shook her head, still a little stunned, and motioned for him to sit down. They were both quiet for a few minutes.

Finally Nathan spoke up, "How's your leg?"

"Slowly but surely it's healing. I'll have to go to physical therapy afterward."

"And what about you? How are you feeling?"

Haley played with the zipper on her backpack, unable to meet his gaze. Everything about this conversation was awkward. "I'm fine." More silence followed. Not being able to take it, Haley reached for her crutches. "Thanks for checking on me. You didn't have to. I should go."

Nathan's hand reached out to her. "Yes, I did."

Haley paused and felt her whole body tingling where he touched her. It felt like an electric current running just beneath her skin. She cleared her throat. "I heard the mayor is going to give you an award for saving my life. Congratulations."

He shrugged. "I'm sure my father had something to do with it. The two of them are friends. He thinks it'll impress the scouts."

"Still, it's an honor."

"I didn't save your life for an award, Haley." There was an edge to his voice. She wasn't sure if it was intended for her or Dan.

"I should go," she repeated.

A second later, Nathan's hand was under her chin, lifting it.

"Don't," she said when he started to stroke her cheek.

"Why not?"

"B-because…" her voice faltered as she searched for the right words. "It'll only make this harder."

He frowned. "I don't understand."

"You can't just come in and out of my life like this. I know that you feel like you have some sort of obligation to me after what we went through. But you already saved me. That day has passed. It's done." She pulled back, out of his grasp. "I think it'd be best if—"

"You think I'm here out of obligation?" he interrupted, not knowing whether to be more hurt or angry.

"Aren't you?" Haley challenged. "I know that I was injured and vulnerable that day, but I'm fine now. You don't have to worry about the poor little tutor girl. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"Haley, what the hell are you talking about?" Nathan demanded, shaking his head. "Where is this coming from?" Lucas had said that Haley wanted to see him. Nathan had thought that Haley would be happy to see him. What he didn't understand was why her attitude suggested the opposite.

She reached for her crutches once more. "Hey!" she exclaimed when Nathan got to them first and tossed them aside, out of her reach. "I need those."

"I'm here because I care about you, Haley. You're not the poor little tutor girl to me."

Haley was going to argue that she didn't have time for this. She needed to get to her locker and sort things out before the school got crowded and classes began. Her mouth, however, seemed to have a mind of its own. "If that's true, then where were you?" she exploded. "Where were you after the shooting? When I was in the hospital and then stuck at home. You didn't visit, and you didn't call. So you tell me how I'm supposed to know that you care about me." Haley couldn't hold the tears in any longer. Turning away from Nathan, she placed her head in her hands.

Nathan watched as the sobs wracked her body. He'd always hated seeing girls cry, and it was even worse with Haley. Nathan knew that avoiding her had been wrong. And he felt like an idiot now for doing that to her. She'd suffered enough.

"Haley," he said in a tentative voice. "Haley, please listen to me. I wasn't trying to hurt you. I know this is going to sound stupid and selfish, but I was protecting myself."

She looked up at that. "What?"

"The truth is I was afraid to see you after we got out of that school. I was afraid that everything that happened between us—that could happen between us—only existed in those hours inside this school. It's stupid, but I guess I avoided you because I wanted to hold on to what we had. Even if it was just for a little while."

Haley wiped at her tear-stained cheeks. "Nathan, you've seen my time capsule video. I told you I loved you. Why would you think that would suddenly change?"

"We were in the middle of a crisis. Emotions always get heightened, and you hear of people doing things they wouldn't normally do when they think they're about to die."

"Like you kissing me." She bit her lip and stared at her hands.

"Haley, look at me," he ordered and waited for her to meet his gaze. "I don't regret kissing you for a second. I don't regret anything about the time we spent together. Nothing in my life has ever felt more real to me."

"Me either," she murmured, unable to look away. His blue eyes were intense; she could feel them drawing her in.

He put his hand on her face once again. This time she didn't pull away. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you like I should've been. I kept having these nightmares where you—" He shook his head and sighed. "I just was scared of losing you."

Haley moved closer to him and placed her hands tentatively on his shoulders, rubbing them. "I've been having nightmares, too. They're awful."

"I don't like feeling vulnerable. The closest I've ever come to it was the day of the shooting, in Whitey's office with you. I wanted you to know me. The real me. And it meant a lot that someone like you could see past all of the mistakes I've made. That someone like you could actually see something good in me."

"Someone like me or me?" she questioned, teasing him a little.

Nathan smiled. "You."

Haley smiled back and brought her own hand up to stroke his face. "God, this is so surreal. I never thought this would happen."

"You never thought what would happen? The shooting or me falling in love with you?" She froze and stared at him in astonishment. "Because I am in love with you, Haley."

Haley felt her insides melt at his words. It took a moment for her mind to catch up with her body as she flung her arms around his neck. Her lips were on his a second later. He loved her. Nathan Scott had actually said that he loved her. Goose bumps formed on her skin when she felt him envelop her in his strong, muscular arms.

Nathan ran his hand through Haley's hair and groaned, tightening his hold on her. Aside from worrying about her, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about their first kiss this past week. The real thing was even better than he remembered. The kiss was full of passion and there was definitely chemistry between them, but there was something much deeper. Nathan's heart ached and felt like it would burst out of his chest, he was so happy, all at the same time. He'd never felt that connection with anyone before.

They were both breathless by the time they broke apart. Nathan gave Haley a few more quick, gentle kisses before leaning his forehead against hers.

"I love you, too," Haley said. She bit her lip and looked at him shyly. "So does this mean that…I mean, are we…"

"You're asking what we are now?" Haley nodded, and he kissed her softly once more. "Well, I was thinking girlfriend would be the most appropriate title. If that's okay with you."

A beaming smile formed on her face. "Really?"

"I want to be with you, Haley," Nathan stated, his expression genuine. "I want that more than anything."

She pulled him back toward her. "I want to be with you, too."

"Good," Nathan mumbled against her lips. "And maybe you could be my tutor? I am failing English."

Haley broke the kiss and playfully whacked his arm, causing him to laugh.

He grinned innocently. "What? I heard you were the best."

"So you were just trying to butter me up. Is that it?"

"Maybe. But I do love you." He took one of her hands and squeezed it.

"Do you think it's really possible? We only spent a few hours together." This was crazy, Haley knew. It felt like everything between them was happening so fast. But at the same time, nothing in her life had ever felt so right.

"You fell in love with me, and we'd never even talked before," Nathan pointed out. "I don't think it's ever too soon to feel that way."

Haley couldn't hide her blush. "Touché, Scott."

"I know it may not have been the best of circumstances, but I kind of like to think of that day as our first date. We probably learned more about each other in those few hours than other couples do in a few months."

"That's true," Haley agreed. They'd been so open and honest with each other. Some of the stuff Haley had shared with Nathan she'd never told anyone else—and that included Lucas. There was just something about Nathan that made her feel like she could trust him.

"But if you're up to it, I'd like to officially take you out this weekend." They'd been through so much already. They deserved a nice, normal night out together. Nathan didn't want to waste any more time.

Haley was practically glowing. "That sounds perfect."

Nathan pulled her in close as his lips claimed hers once more. It felt so good to be holding her in his arms. It was the only way to reassure himself that she was all right. This week apart had felt like pure torture. He just couldn't seem to get enough of her now. If it had been anyone else, he probably would've been scared at just how hard he'd fallen for her in such a short amount of time. But this was Haley. She was unlike anyone Nathan had ever met before. She was beautiful, kind, and genuine. She knew the real him and loved him for both his strengths and weaknesses. Nathan couldn't ask for anything more.

A bell rang and Haley heard the other students in the hallway. The first period of the day would start in fifteen minutes.

She broke their kiss reluctantly. "We should probably get going."

Nathan went to retrieve Haley's crutches and helped her stand up.

"So did you really ask Lucas where I was?" she questioned, unable to stifle her curiosity any longer.

"We've had a talk actually. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that we've called a truce."

"Really?" Haley was excited. "So does this mean you guys are like friends now?"

"Easy, matchmaker. Baby steps." Nathan snatched Haley's backpack before she could pick it up. "I'll carry that."

Haley stared at him intently.

"What?" he asked when she was silent.

Haley stroked his face. "You saved my life. I never did say thank you."

Nathan pressed his lips to hers gently before she deepened the kiss. He then smiled and murmured, "You just did."

They headed for the door. Nathan was patient as Haley hobbled along on her crutches.

"By the way, I actually did send you something while you were home recuperating."

"You did?"

"Yeah. I sent you a bouquet of purple flowers. I was just too chicken to include a card or anything."

Haley's smile widened further, if that was even possible at this point. "Oh my God, those were from you? They were my favorite. I loved them!"

"Really?" Nathan chuckled.

"Yes. I have them next to my bed."

"Good. I'm glad you liked them." At least he'd done something right, he thought.

They had finally reached the door and walked out into the hall. Within seconds people were staring in their direction. Haley had anticipated this. However, she was sure that Nathan's presence next to her was garnering even more attention toward them than usual.

Haley watched the hallway full of students looking at them and whispering. Suddenly she was feeling anxious and overwhelmed. "Nathan," she said, just low enough for him to hear. She could just imagine what they were all thinking.

Nathan put his hand on her lower back and gave her an encouraging smile. Just as suddenly as the anxiety had come, it disappeared. All of Haley's focus was on Nathan. She could feel the strength and confidence emanating from him. Just like the day of the shooting, he actually somehow managed to make her feel safe.

Leaning down, Nathan gave Haley a quick kiss on the lips. He didn't care if the entire school was watching or what they were saying. Nathan wanted them all to know that he loved Haley as much as she loved him. He was never going to try to hide that. If he'd learned anything from all of this, it was that life was too short to take anything for granted.

"Let's go to class, Hales," Nathan said and led her down the hall, through the crowd, with his head held high.

No matter what came next, they would face it together.


End file.
